There’s a Story Behind Christopher Walken’s Fancy Sock in the Kia Commercial

Stance socks has a starring role in a Super Bowl commercial this year, and the brand didn't have to shell out $5 million for the privilege, either.

The ultra hip sock company—whose celebrity fans include Jay Z (who rapped about them) and Rihanna (who has a Stance line and helped design its ads last fall)—popped up in Kia's Christopher Walken ad. Yes, that's a colorful Stance sock on Walken's hand—the embodiment of passion in a dreary world, according to the ad.

Not a bad cameo, at all. And perhaps not a surprising choice of a partner on Kia's part, considering the two brands share some history. Kia and Stance, after all, are the NBA's official auto and sock sponsors, respectively.

"Our brands have a mutual respect for each other and are both local to Orange County," a Stance rep told Adweek last week. "We love that both Kia and Stance are involved with the NBA, Kia as the official automotive partner and Stance as the official sock of the NBA for the 2015-16 season."

And how did the Super Bowl pact come about? 

"The creative concept of the Super Bowl ad and campaign called for a sock, and Kia thought of us as a natural fit," the Stance rep says. "The timing couldn't have been more perfect for both companies."

The company declined to say whether the Kia appearance was a paid placement. But it's certainly trying to leverage the cameo to the fullest. The sock in the ad is a new one, created for the campaign. It's called "Pizzazz," and it's being featured today on the Stance homepage, and sold in extremely limited quantities—only 25 will be sold with a special box.

Stance also provided its influencers with the sock and encouraged them to showcase how they "add pizzazz"—content Stance will showcase in its social media channels. The brand will also allow fans to customize the sock through its Canvas platform in the near future.

Stance recently added Willow Smith as its latest guest designer and brand ambassador. Check out the video announcing that partnership below. 

• For more Super Bowl 50 news, check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker, an up-to-date list of the brands running Super Bowl spots and the agencies involved in creating them.

Tim Nudd

@nudd

Tim Nudd is a former creative editor of Adweek.