Adorable Robo Dog Finds His Home in Kia's Super Bowl Spot

David&Goliath has launched Kia's Super Bowl 2022 spot, featuring a wide-eyed, adorable, electronic-charged, robotic pup.

In the spot, Robo Dog longingly stares outside the showroom window of an innocuous electronics store. As the world passes by in front of Robo Dog, loneliness ensues as Robo Dog sees a real dog joyfully play with its owner. Suddenly, Robo Dog’s bright eyes widen and tail wags at the sight of something familiar. And in that one electrified moment, Robo Dog charges out of the store in heart-pumping pursuit of what could possibly be this endearing pup’s forever home. 

Created by David&Goliath, this aspirational 60-second Super Bowl spot, which debuted, Thursday, February 3, follows Robo Dog as it escapes the stark retail store and begins an epic chase around a buzzing city in search of the all-electric Kia EV6 and its owner. From crowded streets to a glass elevator to roof tops, Robo Dog relentlessly tracks the elusive EV6 as Bonnie Tyler’s iconic “Total Eclipse of the Heart” swells in the background, providing the perfect union of emotion and humor. You can’t help but root for this lovable pup as it makes a leap of faith toward the EV6 when – the battery drains and Robo Dog shuts down. Thanks to the  innovative onboard charger of the EV6, the owner is able to quickly power up the pup and as they lock eyes, they fall for each other, and drive off to live a fully charged life. 

“When I think about what it means to live a fully charged life, it’s about not only doing your part to protect the environment by owning an electric vehicle, it also means to go all in with the journey,” said David Angelo, founder and creative chairman, David&Goliath. “Robo Dog is the personification of that charge within us all, one that inspires us to dream big and never settle. It’s the truth behind this ad for Super Bowl and the truth of Kia’s brand.”

The spot is part of an integrated campaign that includes a partnership between Kia and the Petfinder Foundation designed to shine a spotlight on shelter animals seeking adoption. It’s the latest initiative under Kia’s celebrated Accelerate The Good Program, and includes the brand’s first-ever immersive augmented reality experience to raise awareness and help shelter animals find their forever homes.  

ROBO DOGMENTED REALITY

While Kia’s Robo Dog found its forever home, there are countless real shelter dogs who are not as lucky. Especially in the wake of the pandemic where many dogs were adopted, only to be returned to shelters. 

Going live Wednesday, February 9, Kia will launch its “Robo Dogmented Reality” mobile web experience which allows animal lovers to simply scan a QR Code to bring Kia’s Robo Dog into their own home through any mobile device. This innovative experience virtualizes pet adoption instantly, and entices users to consider adopting an animal in need, in their local communities.

TIKTOK’S ROBO DOG “TURN AROUND” DANCE

As part of the fully integrated campaign, on Friday, February 11, Kia will launch its first-ever TikTok integration, which will provide users a chance to dance with the cutest robotic dog ever, Robo Dog, to Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Every time users hear “turn around” Robo Dog turns and users can turn with the adorable pup. Kia partnered with five TikTok creators/influencers to help amplify the campaign and encourage pet adoption, while spreading the fun and love. Creators are @dougthepug, @besperon, @hi_im_chewie, @melissabecraft and @laurengottlieb. 

The campaign includes 15- and 30-second versions of the 'Robo Dog' spot, as well as print, out-of-home and social media components. Extending beyond the Super Bowl, the campaign includes a series of spots starring Robo Dog and its owner, while showcasing the innovative features of the EV6.