Don't expect any dancing rodents in Kia Motors' Super Bowl XLVIII commercial on Sunday. The South Korean automaker, historically known as an economy brand with dancing hamsters, is looking to change Americans' opinions of not only the brand, but the entire luxury segment with its new Super Bowl ad, which is expected to debut Sunday during the third-quarter of the big game.Watch video
DETROIT, MI- Don’t expect any dancing rodents in Kia Motors’ Super Bowl XLVIII commercial on Sunday.
The South Korean automaker, historically known as an economy brand with dancing hamsters, is looking to change opinions of not only the brand, but the entire luxury segment with a new Super Bowl ad, which is expected to debut Sunday during the third-quarter of the big game.
Kia posted a 16-second teaser (embedded right) of the upcoming commercial Friday on YouTube. It features actor Laurence Fishburne as his Morpheus character from “The Matrix” attempting to tune a television to watch the Super Bowl.
The teaser comes about a month after Kia posted a 30-second YouTube ad called "Preconceived Notions" with Fishburne doing the voiceover.
“They say tradition and heritage are what make a luxury sedan, but is that truly the case? Only you can decide for yourself,” Fishburne said. “Arriving soon, the K900 from Kia. It challenges everything.”
During the 2014 North American International Auto Show, Kia Marketing chief Michael Sprague said the actual Super Bowl ad will be 60 seconds and feature Fishburne with the K900.
The K900, which debuted domestically at the 2013 LA Auto Show, is a powerful rear-wheel drive sedan that is expected to go on sale early this year. It will come standard with a 3.8-liter Lamba V6 engine that produces 311 horsepower. An optional 5.0-liter V8 engine produces 420 horsepower. Super Bowl ads continue to become more important for automakers, as many spend millions on air time, commercial production and talent. A 30-second spot during this year's game reportedly averages $4 million, according to AdWeek and numerous advertising outlets.
In recent years, Chrysler Group LLC has made waves with its Super Bowl commercials that have included Eminem, Oprah Winfrey, Clint Eastwood and a photographic "Farmer" ad featuring Paul Harvey's "So God Made a Farmer" speech.
Super Bowl XLVIII versus the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks is scheduled to be broadcast starting at 6:30 p.m. on FOX from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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Michael Wayland covers the automotive industry for MLive. Email him at MWayland@mlive.com & follow him on Twitter @MikeWayland or Google+.