Kia Takes the Children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on an Immersive Joyride to the North Pole

-- A First-Ever Virtual Activation Created On Premises At the Hospital --

The end of the year marks a festive, feel-good time surrounded by love, happiness and gratitude. This holiday season, Kia partners with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to spread holiday joy to the kids in a most inventive way, by creating an immersive experience that transports patients straight to the North Pole without ever having to leave the hospital. Kia’s year-end sales event “Season of Giving Back” campaign, created by Kia and David&Goliath (D&G), leans into the season of giving by giving the children at St. Jude and their parents a real time, magical experience of the joy and wonder of the holidays.

“Helping those in need is at the heart of the Kia brand and we are proud to support St. Jude with our ‘Season of Giving Back’,” said Russell Wager, vice president, marketing, Kia America. “We hope to provide holiday cheer to those families that are facing the most difficult of circumstances with dignity, bravery, and grace. Kia is honored to be a small part of the impact St. Jude has on so many.” 

"Kia didn't just want to create a traditional year end event. After all, this is the season of giving. Together we wanted to give to those who may not be able to experience the holidays at home, such as the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and create a special experience for children who could use a little extra holiday cheer,” said Ben Purcell, Chief Creative Officer at D&G. “The Kia EV6 is an electrically innovative and capable vehicle. So, we created an immersive holiday experience around it, that was just as innovative.”

The activation was captured in the :60 spot titled “Holiday Joyride” which launched on December 8^th, where we are transported to a winter wonderland where the kids adventure on a fun-filled joyride that stirs smiling faces and gasps of excitement as they journey to the North Pole straight from the backseat of a Kia EV6. The spot brilliantly captures real reactions to the bright lights and sparkly skies during the filming of the full, enchanting activation. As an added treat, Kia will release additional footage and a recap of the experience including reactions of all the kids and parents on social, also, beginning on the 8^th. 

To bring it all to life, Nexus Studios, directed by Factory Fifteen, was enlisted to help by constructing a virtual set 50 feet in diameter and 10 feet high comprised of 296 curved LED screens around a Kia EV6 inside St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^Ò. The electric vehicle was equipped with 4 independent hydraulic compressors to gently lift and lower the vehicle to make it feel like it’s driving through a magical winter landscape, flying through the sky, and landing on the North Pole.

"We really put the kids first. And since St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been doing that for a long time, they were incredible partners, working tirelessly with our creatives, with Kia and with our production partners at Nexus to develop something very real and memorable," said Purcell. 

“We were partly inspired by ‘The Way Home For Wolf’ children's book; in that taking us on this journey were several festive animals that travel with the children in a relay race, through snowy landscapes filled with snowflakes, to snow-filled forests, to above the clouds and into the star-filled night sky, before helping us find the North Pole,” said Paul Nicholls of Factory Fifteen. “Designing this journey and seeing it light up the car through the immersive LED stage, was nothing compared to seeing these brave children's faces light up with glee. It was a joy to work with David & Goliath and Kia, in what has become a heartfelt career highlight.” 

As part of Kia’s Season of Giving Back campaign, in addition to making the holidays even brighter for the kids, Kia America announced that the brand is making a donation to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital for each new car purchased with a guaranteed minimum of $1,000,000.^_[1]

In addition to the broadcast spot and monetary donation, the campaign includes, :30,:15,:06 cutdowns of “Holiday Joyride” for use on digital platforms. The campaign will also feature broadcast radio, OOH, print, point-of-sale and social media extensions. 

^{[1] 1 Kia will donate $8.00 for every new Kia vehicle that is purchased or leased at authorized Kia dealerships, and delivered to retail customers, between November 11, 2022, and December 31, 2022 - with a guaranteed minimum donation of $1,000,000 in the aggregate - to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. For more information, please click here.}