Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

Two Professional Drivers set a Guinness World Record in a Kia Optima Hybrid

Karl Greenberg - MEDIAPOST - Jun 7, 2012

Kia's ad men, who gave us Optima's Mr. Sandman and the Kia Soul's Hamsters, add their creative touch to the Optima Hybrid's 48-state drive in a new tv spot. --Ed.

Kia has launched a campaign for its Optima Hybrid car that spotlights the vehicle’s achievement of winning a Guinness World Record. The car got Guinness props last year for having achieved the lowest fuel consumption in a hybrid when a couple of pro drivers toured the 48 contiguous United States on 5½ tanks of gas. They went 7,899 miles at 64.55 miles per gallon by driving at optimal speeds and under optimal conditions.

The new campaign, targeted to Gen Xers and younger Baby Boomers, re-tells that story with two professional drivers randomly pulling over in the middle of a desert highway to chat with a man going cross-country on a pogo stick, who is also attempting to set a Guinness record. In the end, the drivers tell the pogo guy that they, too are in the process of setting a World Record and then take off into the sunset. Tag: "Not your average hybrid."

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Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

We don't know who these two hooligans were, but they don't look like anybody I've seen hanging around here at CleanMPG.

We know it can't be Wayne driving because 1) He doesn't wear glasses, and 2) I don't see coolers full of Pepsi stashed in the back seat. :D

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

Hey Wayne - I knew you were good but I didn't know you were a "pro"

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

Sounds a whole lot like what happened with Stroh's Beer and using the Golden Retriever Alex. People loved the commercials but the marketing campaign did diddly squat for their sales. The same thing happened with Bud Lite, that used the bull terrier Spud's McKennzie.

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

No baseball cap, either.

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

They could've at least put Wayne on the pogo stick.

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

Hi Reid:

I think we can call anyone that has hung out at CleanMPG for over a month "Pro's" ;)

Al, if there is one thing that drive will do, it is to promote the FE and range of the Otpima Hybrid. That thing is a killer given its size and fuel tank cap.

Edwin, too bad David&Goliath (the ad agency) didn't simply fly Chris and I out and make the two sentence commercial :) The cost for the attorneys involved in the releases would have covered our end. And they missed my ball cap too :(

Carcus, I used to be a heck of a pogo’er in my day too :D

Overall, I thought the pogo stick guy was a cute way to highlight the trips goals.

Wayne

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

Would have been nice if they would have mentioned the drivers by name.

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

They do on the Kia site.

They could have also have given us fun stage names from TV/movie characters, like Thelma and Louise, Smokey and The Bandit, Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry, BJ and The Bear, Will and Sonny, or even Bo and Luke.

Re: Kia Raises A Guinness For Optima Hybrid
 

I saw that ad the other day.. Instantly, I said "That's not Wayne"! And then, disappointingly "Those are Actors"..

Made me recall the time many years ago when I was in a TV ad (for the tech school where I was an instructor).
I had to sign all sorts of agreements and had to accept a check, for ONE dollar!
That ad ran for years. As my little girl grew up, she started noticing Dad was on channel 38, but only during Boston Bruins games.. ;)

My 20 seconds of fame.. LOL!