2015 Kia Optima, Sorento Featured in World Cup Campaign

Building on the highly successful Super Bowl LXVI ad starring the brand's midsize sedan and Brazil's Adriana Lima, Kia is reuniting the supermodel with the current car—the 2015 Kia Optima—to help introduce more U.S. sports fans to the international version of "football."

Now, it's no coincidence that Kia also happens to be the Official Automotive Partner of this year's World Cup, or that Lima was born in the same country hosting the 2014 tournament. But my research for this story—i.e., going to Adriana Lima's Wikipedia page—did bring to light an odd bit of synchronicity: The new commercial starring the 2015 Kia Optima is scheduled to have its broadcast debut during the first matches of the World Cup, which are scheduled for today, June 12. And that's Lima's birthday.

As for Kia's World Cup advertising, it actually includes a trio of spots, with one for the 2015 Kia Optima and a pair for its crossover cousin, the Kia Sorento. In all three, Lima entices a group of guys to watch soccer instead of "American" football or NASCAR racing, with the overall theme of "For One Month, Let's All be Fútbol Fans." Along with checking the commercials out during game coverage on ABC and ESPN, folks also can catch them during the Kia-sponsored pre-game shows, on YouTube.com, and, in theory, at www.Kia.com/FIFA.

It's further worth noting that Kia is going all-in social-media-wise, with World Cup content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., etc.

The party line from Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Kia Motors America. “Soccer’s popularity in the U.S. is growing rapidly and as Official Automotive Partner of the World Cup we have a unique platform to showcase two of Kia’s most popular vehicles to the sport’s passionate and diverse fan base across the country. The reaction to Adriana Lima’s appearance in ‘Drive the Dream’ was overwhelming, and with the World Cup being staged in her home country of Brazil and her love for the game it was a natural fit to partner again and add a bit of glamour and humor to our ‘fútbol’ campaign.”