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NFL finds Kia’s Super Bowl ad featuring Las Vegas anything but cute
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.
Kia Super Bowl ad
Sun Archives
- Why you won’t see Las Vegas ads during the Super Bowl (2-5-2010)
- Las Vegas hopes to blitz Super Bowl with ads (1-1-2010)
- NFL rule changes allow Las Vegas ads during Super Bowl (12-24-2009)
- NFL to allow Las Vegas ads on postseason telecasts (12-16-2009)
Sun Coverage
Never has a Kia Sorento gotten such great mileage — and never has Las Vegas enjoyed such a free ride.
South Korea’s second-largest car manufacturer made its Super Bowl advertising debut in the third quarter of Sunday’s game with a collection of life-size toys joy riding through the National Football League’s ban against showing casinos, much to the delight of Las Vegans who have long ridiculed the ad policy — and much to the NFL’s chagrin.
Most of the key players are in no-comment mode, but here’s what happened: Kia contracted with El Segundo, Calif.-based ad agency David&Goliath for a 60-second TV spot showcasing the 2011 crossover SUV. The ad, titled “Joyride,” featured a sock monkey; Muno, from the children’s cable television show “Yo Gabba Gabba!”; Mr. X from the blabla dolls collection; and a robot and a teddy bear invented for the ad.
The road trip included bowling on an alley with exploding pins, Jet Skiing, riding a mechanical bull, a trip to a tattoo parlor, a dip in a hot tub — and a visit to the Strip.
The Las Vegas portion featured about 10 seconds of Strip images, including the characters posing in front of the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, motoring past Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s and New York-New York and pulling up to Monte Carlo's porte-cochere.
The bits with the resorts are what bug the NFL because they violate its policy on showing gambling-industry imagery in ads during its games. For years, the NFL banned Las Vegas ads outright, but relaxed the policy for this year’s postseason, allowing ads as long as they didn’t show hotels, casinos, slot machines or any gaming.
MGM Mirage spokesman Gordon Absher said his company had no product-placement agreement with Kia. Although Kia had to get permission to tape at the Monte Carlo’s entrance, Absher said there was no backdoor plan to get a resort in a Super Bowl ad.
Kia reportedly negotiated with CBS, the network that aired the Super Bowl, to run the ad for an estimated $5 million.
But that’s where the story gets a little fuzzy. Although David&Goliath delivered the spot well in advance of the game, NFL officials said they didn’t see it.
“CBS sells the ads that appear in the game. We did not see this ad before it aired,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in response to the Sun’s e-mail. “The shots of the casinos did violate our policy, and we have since addressed the matter with CBS.” Asked in a follow-up e-mail how the matter was resolved, McCarthy replied, “We already addressed it privately with CBS. End of story.”
A CBS spokeswoman said the network wouldn’t comment on the matter. David&Goliath referred calls to Kia, whose marketing department didn’t return phone calls.
But Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, chairman of the convention authority’s board, had plenty to say.
“I’m watching the ballgame and I said, ‘My goodness, I thought that the convention authority wasn’t going to place an ad this year,’ ” Goodman said Tuesday. “I see ‘Welcome to Las Vegas,’ I see all the hotels, I see the glitz and glamour of the Strip and I see it’s not a (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority) ad. It’s Kia. So I was happier than a pig in mud.
“I personally thought the ad was better than some of the ads we put out. I think it was a great statement about Las Vegas with the cool little monsters running around on the Strip. And all that makes us great was there for the world to see.”
He said legal wagering on games has helped make the NFL what it is today and that other leagues have determined that partnering with Las Vegas — the National Basketball Association with its All-Star Game and postseason events for the National Hockey League and NASCAR — have made them more successful.
The ad was ranked the fourth most popular of the Super Bowl broadcast in a national survey conducted by SpotBowl.com, trailing two produced by Anheuser-Busch and one for Snickers.
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Good on 'em. Was a good ad and with the NFL stranglehold they received extra attention. Allure of Vegas is an image, every town has a steakhouse, most have a casino, its for that feeling of "Vegas" that brings you here. Hopefully Obama won't now come out saying responsible people don't waste money buying Kia's.
I have to say that, since I relocated here, I've noticed more KIAs here in Las Vegas that anywhere else in the country. This ad seems very appropriate and perhaps had a deeper strategy than first apparent.
Good for KIA (decent cars), good for Vegas (decent town)!
--haxt0r
Great commercial!!! You never know what those stuffed animals do when you aren't watching them!!!
A few years back I saw an old ladies nipple during the superbowl. I don't see why they are outraged on seeing a casino.
A few years back I saw an old ladies nipple during the superbowl. I don't see why they are outraged on seeing a casino.
Another less than smart comment. Do your research why Vegas isn't on any commercials during teh Super Bowl.
For god's sake, you see Vegas for only a few seconds here, and there's nothing promoting gambling or anything else. The NFL needs to get a freaking life.
I'm very sure the whole nation is buying Kias and heading to Las Bugsy all because of this one commercial.
Traffic report at 5.
The fact that you can LEGALLY bet on the outcome of the Super Bowl goes a long way in creating the hype for this great event. The NFL, TV stations, and many others benefit from Las Vegas being Las Vegas. Why we are castigated is anyone's guess. The NFL should applaud Las Vegas and partner up with the greatest visitor and meeting destination in the Country!
It's a great ad, it's all about freedom, on the road, and we all know that ALL roads lead to Las Vegas, the ultimate freedom choice destination! Good going Kia ! Now if only the Casino owners would do their value offering part to bring back the tourists, we might be able to get something going again..
I find this ad to be offensive. Somehow, to me, the comparison of mechanical bulls and tattoos to the Strip kind of cheapens the image of the Strip. And to associate bowling with exploding pins to a visit to the Strip suggests that visiting casinos is somewhat unusual, pretty bright and equally dangerous. I think Kia owes Las Vegas an apology for this backhanded slap it delivered the fine and reputable city of Las Vegas before a record-setting television audience on Sunday.
Las Vegas is a place where serious people come to do serious business. It is not a trashy place where people get drunk and get bad tattoos or ride mechanical bulls, and it's not nearly as dangerous to come here as it is to go pyrotechnical bowling.
I'm just wondering where Oscar is on this one. Where is the LVCVA decrying this latest outrage?
LOL- the continued hypocrisy of the NFL kills me!
An industry that employs a bunch of convicted millionaire FELONS is against an incredibly highly regulated industry that wouldn't employ a felon for $8.00 an hour... LOL
Since when did Michael Vick and Ray Lewis count as "a bunch"?
@ RustyS.
This funny and inventive commercial "cheapens the image of the Strip"?? Ha ha ha. I thought it was brilliant..especially the sock monkey getting a tattoo sewn on.
The spot showed the glitz and glitter of all things Vegas. It was the number four commercial in popularity among all of this year's Super Bowl commercials. And Kia payed the bills. You cannot ask for any better publicity, or certainly any cheaper publicity, than this. And the NFL controversy keeps it in the limelight.
And FYI, non-serious people do come to Las Vegas to party i.e. get drunk, let loose, and have a fun time. YOU are waay too serious--time for you to find some new friends and do Las Vegas up right!
What a great ad................those who spent the time and money putting this ad together new damm well what the rules are, and CBS who put the ad on the air also new what the NFL rules are. Kia is getting much more than thier $5,000,000 worth with the extra press they are recieving.Vegas is all about the fun! I was there on the weekend for the UFC and Super Bowl and what a blast............just a great place for us Canadians to come and enjoy your depressed economy.....
The NFL seems like a band of highly self-protective stuffed shirts. McCarthy replied, "We already addressed it privately with CBS. End of story." The NFL wants the story quashed so Vegas doesn't get more free publicity.
why does the headline said "anything but cute " i thought it was cute nice instead of racy and sexual what convention authority put outs
NFL Industries wants complete control of their product and anything that cuts into profits is forbidden. too much hype over too little product. still better than baseball, but its getting stale.
One of the teddy bears works for the state of Nevada. He is slated to have 6-10% of his stuffing removed.
it was a great ad...weird policy...they dont want a casino in the background but they let the illiterate tibow do his propoganda ad for the nazi group Focus on the (as long as your white,middle to upper middle class, protestant,republican, gay bashing, born again) Family
The NFL is ridiculous. You end up seeing ads that are more than sexually suggesting, but children's toys at a casino... thats where they draw the line?
So, let me get this straight. We can see all those rather tasteless ads with guys in their tighty whiteys parading around, beer ads ad nauseum, and ten seconds of the Strip is a problem?
Um, OK . . .
GREAT AD.
Rusty
So the thought of stuffed animals coming "alive" doesn't bother you? That these stuffed animals had a good time in Sin City? Is THAT the problem? Instead of a "playground", they went for a drive and ended up in Vegas???? Bless 'em!!
Get a life!!!
PS to all you parents and grandparents:
Check the kids' stuffed animals - they may have tatoos!!! Also keep an eye out on your pets - they've been known to do strange things when they're alone!!!
hmm...I think i will go bowling...get a tatto...jump in my Kia and head for Vegas! Sound like a good weekend to me.
oops, tatoo that is...
I live in Nebraska and have never been to a Super Bowl. I have been to Las Vegas for 6 of them. The hypocrites running the NFL should thank God for gambling. If it wasn't for betting on games and money fantasy leagues, I probably wouldn't watch 20 minutes of football a year. Aside from hometown fans, nobody cares who wins an NFL game. We care who covers.
Don't worry Rusty, I get your sarcasm, apparently most are suffering from sarchasm! I though the ad was pretty funny, and I, too, had heard that the LVCVA had not placed an ad during the SuperBowl, so was utterly suprised to see the casinos. Yeah, the NFL is right, showing those provocative, sexually explicit, hotel properties was downright egregious. They should sue the pants off of Kia. Yes, my pun was intended!
Followup commercial - stuffed animals driving the Stripper Mobile back to Vegas from its road trip.
I like how the NFL think it's bad for people to gamble, to the point where they won't show a Vegas commercial during the Super Bowl; yet it's all fine and dandy to let their misguided football stars to go to Vegas and spend every last million they have on prostitutes, gambling, drugs and booze!