Kia Promotes Brand Through World Cup... "Providing a Special Experience for Soccer Fans"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Kia announced on the 19th that as an official partner of the '2022 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup,' which captivated football fans worldwide over the past month, it contributed to the successful operation of the tournament by supporting transportation means such as vehicles and buses during the World Cup period.

A total of 297 Kia passenger vehicles and 70 buses bearing the Kia logo were deployed for tournament operations during the World Cup. Notably, 80 of these were eco-friendly vehicles.

The official vehicles provided by Kia were used for the smooth transportation of national team players, tournament officials, media, and broadcasters. In particular, the EV6 GT-Line became the first Kia electric vehicle model officially used in the history of World Cup tournament operations.

To commemorate this, Kia and FIFA produced a documentary content titled ‘Road to Inspiration.’ This content was released through FIFA’s own online video streaming service (OTT) platform, ‘FIFA+.’ It featured renowned international sports commentator Adam Hunt, former national team player Mikael Silvestre, and Nigel de Jong. They personally experienced the food and culture of Qatar, the host country of this World Cup, while touring the World Cup stadiums in the EV6 GT-Line.

Kia operated various football-related games and events for fans at brand activation zones installed at three World Cup stadiums: Al Thumama, Al Bayt, and Khalifa International. A total of six vehicles, including the EV6 GT, Telluride, K8, K5, Sorento, and Sportage, were exhibited.

During the World Cup, Kia also displayed ‘The Kia Concept EV9’ at its brand booth in the main fan zone ‘FIFA Fan Festival’ operated by FIFA at Al Bidda Park in Doha, Qatar.

The EV9 concept vehicle is the top-tier model of Kia’s next-generation electric vehicle lineup, embodying the essence of Kia’s future mobility vision. It features unique characteristics inspired by nature, such as the Star Map signature lighting, sleek and angular exterior, and a modern interior using recycled materials. Approximately 40,000 visitors explored the EV9 concept car at the Kia brand booth during the World Cup.

Kia also invited a total of 250 guests from 39 countries, directly selected for the 2022 World Cup. The guests were grouped into Innovators, Early Adopters, and Content Creators. Through Kia’s self-organized experiential program ‘Road to Inspiration,’ they toured famous sites in Qatar and watched World Cup matches.

Additionally, Kia selected 64 promising football players from over 20 countries and invited them to Qatar as ‘Official Match Ball Carriers (OMBC).’ The OMBC role involves carrying the official match ball and leading referees and players onto the pitch just before the start of the match. The invited prospects also participated in a Qatar tour program organized by Kia.

Meanwhile, Kia produced a content series documenting the entire process from the selection of five Korean football prospect children participating in the OMBC program to their performance of the OMBC role on-site, in collaboration with the football-specialized YouTube channel ‘Shoot for Love.’ As of the 16th, a total of nine episodes have been uploaded, surpassing 9 million cumulative views.

Ryu Chang-seung, Head of Kia Customer Purchase Experience Division, said, “During the 2022 World Cup, Kia was able to meet many brand fans both on-site and online. This is a great achievement made possible by Kia members, FIFA officials and volunteers, and football fans who visited us. We will continue active activities in various partnership fields so that many people can experience Kia’s present and future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.