Kia America ad stars NFTs from Dead Army Skeleton

Kia America is putting Dead Army Skeleton Klub NFTs into its next national advertising campaign, another indication that the characters from Web3 worlds are becoming the next commercial stars.

On Friday, Kia America released a new 30-second spot that will run on TV, showing animated members of the Dead Army crew rolling around town in a Kia Soul. The commercial was created by ad agency David&Goliath.

Kia teamed up with Dead Army Skeleton Klub to also generate 10,100 Kia-themed NFTs, which will be available through QR codes in the commercials.

NFT communities have started to show up in advertising through collaborations, such as the one between Kia and Dead Skeleton. Late last year, Adidas joined up with Bored Ape Yacht Club in marketing, as more brands tap popular NFT characters to wear their logos and promote their services in this new space. Automakers have been jumping into NFTs regularly, too. This year, Kia connected its Super Bowl campaign to NFTs, by issuing 10,000 Robo Dog NFTs. The NFTs were part of an ad campaign promoting Kia’s electric vehicles.

Kia’s new commercial shows three Dead Army Skeleton Klub characters driving around town in a 2023 Kia Soul and pulling into a burger joint drive-thru. The spot is called “Built For Whoever You Are.” Dead Skeleton started with a collection of 6,969 NFTs, which are 3D skeletons with variations in their eyes, heads, clothing and accessories, giving each a different level of rarity in collectors’ eyes. One Dead Skeleton in Kia’s commercial is of the gold variety, another wears a football-style helmet and another has a bandana.

In the announcement about the new commercial, Russell Wager, VP of marketing at Kia America, made a reference to how NFTs are considered unique assets, hence they are “non-fungible.” “The Soul is as individualistic as the NFTs are, and as a brand, Kia is always innovating to stay on the cutting edge,”

Wager said.

Kia works with the NFT marketplace Sweet, which has become a destination for many brands to buy, sell and trade NFTs.

The Dead Army Skeleton Klub is described in its profile on OpenSea, another NFT marketplace, saying: Each DASK is a metaverse-ready 3D character. DASK holders own 100% of the copyright of the NFTS. · Klub's members receive access to exclusive drops, merch, experiences, and more.”