The Kia Soul Hamsters Are Back to Celebrate Music

Dec 22, 2016

Since 2008, The Kia Soul has been one of the true stars of the Kia line, in more ways than one. A vehicle as special as the Soul needed a truly remarkable marketing campaign, which led to the creation of the world-famous Kia Soul Hamsters.

The Hamsters have starred in many popular commercials throughout the last decade, culminating in the recent inspiring commercial that marked the arrival of the 2016 Kia Soul: a celebration of music, multiculturalism, and a world full of soul.

The Commercial

The commercial starts with a lone guitarist sitting in a park, strumming the opening notes to “Dueling Banjos.” As soon as he’s finished the initial melody, the Hamsters arrive in a 2016 Kia Soul and begin to play the call-and-response song in tandem with the surprised guitarist; first with a banjo, then an electric guitar, and then a trombone.

Before long, the Hamsters have set the stage for the world’s biggest jam session. On hearing the music, hundreds of people rush to the park with instruments in hand, ready to play along and celebrate with their neighbors.

Instruments from all over the world, both old and new, are featured: a sitar, turntables, a stand-up bass, Indian and African drums, an accordion, a tuba, and more. The commercial ends with the entire crowd playing the song together, and dancing and singing, all inspired by the Hamsters and the 2016 Kia Soul.

About the Kia Soul Hamsters

The Kia Soul Hamsters were first introduced shortly after the Soul was first released, and they were created in collaboration with Kia USA and marketing firm David&Goliath. Since the start of their marketing campaign, the Hamsters have appeared in a number of popular commercials, most of them set to pop hits by the day’s most popular musical acts. Highlights include commercials set to songs by Calvin Harris, LMFAO, and Lady Gaga, not to mention “Dueling Banjos.”

As a sign of their enduring popularity, the Kia Soul Hamsters were awarded “Automotive Ad of the Year” at the Nielsen Automotive Advertising Awards in 2010. Additionally, the Hamsters were given their own star on the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame, the advertising industry equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011. As of the writing of this article, the Kia Soul Hamsters are the only automotive industry advertisements to be given such an honor.

Of course, the Hamsters’ status is best demonstrated by the millions of combined likes and shares their many commercials have gotten from regular consumers on YouTube and across social media. Along with bringing greater visibility to the Kia Soul, the Hamsters have helped spread joy and happiness to millions of viewers, which is what makes their new commercial so appropriate; if anyone could get the world to forget its problems and celebrate together, it’s the Kia Soul Hamsters.