Kia recruits Melissa McCarthy for Super Bowl LI campaign to launch the new Niro crossover SUV

2017 Niro – Blue

Kia has officially launched its Super Bowl LI campaign, releasing two teaser ads with actress Melissa McCarthy as the narrator.

The carmaker is using its Super Bowl appearance this year to introduce the all-new Niro model, its newest crossover SUV hybrid vehicle.

Kia’s teaser ads — “Many Names” and “Need/Want” — have very little of McCarthy in them beyond a voiceover that includes a slight touch of McCarthy’s nuanced humor at the end. The brand says the spots are the first components of its “multichannel marketing campaign” leading up to the 60-second Super Bowl spot Kia will air during the game.

“We’ve got a fantastic story to tell about the Niro’s uniquely alluring yet practical package, and the incredibly talented Melissa McCarthy is the perfect partner to help us do it,” says KIA CMO Michael Sprague in the release announcing the campaign.

The ads were created by Kia’s ad agency of record, David&Goliath:

Kia and Wix are the only brands so far this year to release teaser ads. Wix launched its campaign earlier this week with a teaser ad starring Jason Statham and Gal Gadot.

Intel was the first Super Bowl brand out of the gate this year, sharing its official 30-second spot, “Everyday Brady,” with NFL MVP Tom Brady.