Kia releases Super Bowl ad with a chatbot

Kia has already dropped two teasers regarding their Super Bowl ad for LI, the Iceberg and the desert, both featuring Melissa McCarthy. The super bowl ad, created by Los Angels agency David and Goliath, will follow "a heroic and harrowing journey stretching from the polar ice caps to an arid desert." While I am pleased that I don't see any hamsters in this ad, Melissa McCarthy is not an upgrade. In fact, it seems about as wise as having Amy Schumer & Seth Rogen push the old "Party" idea, which we know did not end well.

Since Super Bowl ads aren't just seen on the day of the big game but also everywhere for weeks running up to it with all sorts of teasers and hype, David and Goliath have found another creative way to pre-release their bowl-ad. With a bot. Yes, a bot.

The Nirobot is Kia's Facebook's Messenger bot that they implemented last year. It allows fans and followers to ask questions and get answers in realtime, and if need be a human can enter the conversation. This is a feature of facebook messenger since April of last year where you can use node.js to create a bot in around 10 minutes that will answer questions for you. It's pretty simple, and clever creatives like Eli and Éric&Julien have made bots to show their portfolios off. Since last year Kia's Nirobot, which was developed by Interpublic Group's Ansible, has helped thousands of consumers with "guided vehicle discovery, expansive technical knowledge, step-by-step tutorials and test-drive scheduling." Good bot, well done.

"With its advanced technology and tremendous efficiency, the Niro sets a new standard in the market, and being the first bot for Messenger to debut a Super Bowl ad reinforces the idea that our newest crossover is like nothing consumers have ever seen before,"

says Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and VP for Kia Motors America.

We all know it's just the shiny new angle on the tired old breathless Super Bowl ad press release. Because when your ad isn't going to make a splash in the bowl on it's own, it needs all the PR support it can get.

Update This is the full length Super Bowl spot as it will air durning the game.