The Australian Open, the inaugural event of the annual grand slam series concluding with the U.S. Open, is currently taking place. This prestigious tournament has a rich history that spans over a century and has been associated with Kia Motors since 2002.
As Kia is the tournament’s longest-standing sponsor and also backs the world’s top tennis player, Rafael Nadal, the company has launched a commercial celebrating this partnership.
In the advertisement, an orange tennis ball bounces off a red Kia Stinger, where Rafael Nadal, dressed in a blue button-down shirt, serves a blue tennis ball.
The scene transitions to teenagers and adults hitting and serving tennis balls of various colors against a wall. Each impact creates a circular splash of paint—a dot the size of a tennis ball. As the ad progresses, these dots coalesce into a mural that transforms into the Australian Open tennis court, with Nadal appearing on the court surrounded by Kia banners.
A male voiceover states, “It’s the great power of the Australian Open, for a greater surprise,” as the Stinger navigates through a contemporary cityscape.
Kia is also significantly involved in enhancing the Australian Open experience. The South Korean automotive giant has selected 20 children from Korea to serve as “ball kids” at the event and has displayed 100 of its finest vehicles at Melbourne Park, the venue for the competition.
Additionally, Kia has released limited edition tennis-themed vehicles, including the Picanto, Sportage, and Stinger.
The Kia Picanto AO Edition is equipped with daytime running lights, dual exhaust tips, and Babolat tennis accessories. The Kia Sportage AO edition boasts enhanced safety features, including autonomous emergency braking and lane-departure alerts.
Lastly, the Kia Stinger Rafa Signature edition includes Apple CarPlay, a nine-speaker audio system, and Spanish flag decals showcasing the world champion’s signature.
Rafael Nadal, a 16-time Grand Slam champion, was eliminated from the Australian Open last Tuesday after taking a medical timeout due to an injury to his right leg. The tournament will conclude with the men’s singles final on January 28.
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