Some Super Bowl teasers like to play with viewer expectations without revealing much of what will actually be in a brand’s big game ad, like W+K’s recently revealed “Someone Else” for TurboTax. With the release of Kia’s full “Walken Closet” spot from David&Goliath, we now know that last week’s teaser was not of this variety.
The 15-second teaser, rather, gave a pretty clear indication of what to expect from the full ad, enough so that one of our commenters essentially guessed it (and we’re sure they weren’t the only one who saw it coming). After the man asking where his beige socks strolls into his walk-in closet to find Christopher Walken (essentially where the trailer left off), Walken delivers a speech about how there are two types of people in the world: “Those who are content to blend in, these people walk through life like beige socks” and “Those who expect more.” Walken then snaps his fingers and the 2016 Kia Optima is suddenly behind him, and the two drive off into the sunset. While Walken’s star power will attract at least some attention to the spot, that the basic message is one we’ve heard a thousand times before makes it seems like a wasted opportunity, to say the least. We’re not sure positioning the vehicle as “like the world’s most exciting pair of socks, but it’s a midsize sedan” is doing it any favors either.
“There are a few special moments in one’s career. Those times when you find yourself in an interesting place, making something you never thought possible, with someone you never thought you’d meet,” said David&Goliath chief creative officer Colin Jeffery. “Being in a closet with Christopher Walken and 600 pairs of beige slacks was definitely one of those moments.”
Credits:
Agency: David&Goliath
Founder & Chairman: David Angelo
Chief Creative Officer: Colin Jeffery
Chief Digital Officer: Mike Geiger
President: Brian Dunbar
Chief Strategy Officer: Seema Miller
Creative Director: John O’Hea
Creative Director: Brandon Davis
Art Directors: Shaun Wright, Mike Cornell
Copywriters: Joe Shaner, Andy Sciamanna
Senior Digital Art Director: Bernice Chao
Senior Digital Art Director: Matt Koulermos
Senior Designer: Katherine Ahn
Director of Creative Services: Frannie Rhodes
Senior Project Manager: Kemit Ray
Director of Broadcast Production: Paul Albanese
Executive Broadcast Producer: Christopher Coleman
Director of Art Production: Andrea Mariash
Senior Print Production Manager: Elisa Atwood
Digital Producer: Justine Kleeman
Managing Director: Jeff Moohr
Account Director: Gordon Gray
Account Executive: Annelise Lorenzo
Digital Account Director: Jeanann Grubbs
Digital Account Supervisor: Sarah Kirsch
Planning Director: Andrew Lynch
Senior Planner: Ed Gibson
Senior Digital Strategist: Rachel Fletcher
Director, Business Affairs: Rodney Pizarro
Business Affairs Manager: Camara Price
Product Information Manager: Russ Wortman
Product Information Manager: Mark McNaul
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Matthijs Van Heijningen
Director of Photography: Joost van Gelder
President: David Zander
Senior Executive Producer: Eriks Krumins
Producer: Donald Taylor
Editorial Company: Cut+Run
Editor: Steve Gandolfi
Assistant Editor: Sean Fazende
Managing Director: Michelle Eskin
Executive Producer: Carr Schilling
Head of Production: Amburr Farls
VFX: MPC
VFX Creative Director: Paul O’Shea
VFX Senior Producer: Karen Anderson
VFX Producer: Abisayo Adejare
VFX Senior Compositor: Mark Holden
Grade: MPC LA
Color Executive Producer: Meghan Lang
Color Associate Producer: Rebecca Boorsma
Colorist: Ricky Gausis
Music & Sound Design: Stimmüng
Composer: Cyrus Melchor
Sound Designer: Gus Koven
Creative Director: Rory Doggett
Executive Producer: Ceinwyn Clark
Mix: Margarita Mix
Sound Engineer: Nathan Dubin