Review Car

KIA Ads Create Controversy

The ads that Kia has put out for their Kia Sportage are really back firing on the company. More than likely the majority of the news viewing audience out there has heard about these ads that are being termed very inappropriate and racy according to most people out there. The intention of these ads was to promote the dual climate control zones that the Sportage was coming out with. This seems simple enough however, these ads made a horrible turn at one point. 

The ads are more like comic strips than anything else. The most notable that is really catching attention is the comic strip that has on one side an adult male teacher trying to teach a young girl sitting at her desk. On the other frame, the same male teacher is not teaching a teenage girl that is dressed rather provocatively. For many people, this is screaming a sexual theme to it, and the audience out there is not liking this one bit.

The ads were meant for Brazil, and the United States KIA has already made a statement to make sure that people do not think that the two are intertwined. US Kia has said that the ads are completely offensive and inappropriate, and they are making sure that everyone knows that the Brazil branch is completely on their own in making these ads and using them. In fact, most officials are stating that the ads were not meant to go public, they were intended to be for a contest that the ad agency was entering. However, the damage has been done thus far. 

KIA has been struggling to make sure that their image is one that is going to work in the United States, but the damage from these ads may make the company have to take a few steps back from their goals with this punch to the gut, only time will tell.