Why does the Kia Hamster Sell Cars?

Every car dealership has their image or gimmick. Many actually use the cuteness or speed of a particular animal to represent their vehicles. For instance, the Ford Mustang associates the horse with the same namesake for its emblem. Why? Because Mustangs are known to be creatures that are very fast, and the industry uses “horsepower” to define the speed of their vehicles. Jaguar uses the Jaguar animal to display its grace and power, while SAAB uses an Eagle with a crown. Lamborghini sports a bull as its emblem, and Ferrari also chooses the Horse as the image for its badge.

Volkswagen has used a household pet, the dog to advertise their vehicles by having the dog get excited when he is behind the wheel of the car. Jeep used a wolf, squirrel, and birds to sing “Rock Me Gently” to market their cars, and even companies close to the auto industry like Geico car insurance uses a Gecko to sell their insurance. So why do companies use animals in advertising? It works.

Most people think animals are cute and fuzzy, or maybe they are wowed by their majesty and speed. Whatever it is, using animals in advertising seems to work and this is no different for car advertisments. Kia has harnessed this by using dancing hamsters in their car commercials. Particularly in the Kia Soul commercial where the hamster sports a hat, sweatsuit, and necklace. This seems to resonate with Kia’s target audience that purchases this vehicle, because sales have soared.

When you think of hamsters, what do you think of? Cute and cuddly? Me personally, I think they are a little mean. I owned one as a child and it always bit me, but I digress. The hip hop hamster dances and raps around the Kia Soul and features the song “This or That.” This ad campaign was a huge marketing hit for Kia and continues to be today. I don’t think we will see those dancing hipster hamsters disappearing from Kia advertising anytime soon.

So the next time you look at a car, or a car advertisement, take a minute to see how they advertise to you. See how many animals are showcased throughout the television commercials or online ads. You can bet that animals will always be used in advertising throughout the years because companies know that you can relate to them, or are just fascinated by them. Talking geckos, dancing hamsters, running horses, and flying eagles are just a part of what you are sure to see in the future.