Kia Ditches Iconic Hamsters to Promote the 2020 Soul
“No hamsters, no care!” said YouTube user Bones Jones
Whether you love them or get annoyed when they’re on your screen, there’s no doubt you’re familiar with the Kia Soul hamsters. The tiny furballs made their debut in a commercial called “A New Way to Roll,” which featured super boring hamsters spinning in stationary wheels while a trio of new-age, totally cool hamsters rolled up in a bright red Kia Soul and did the ‘sup’ head nod.
It’s Electric! Boogie, Woogie, Woogie: Soul EV and Niro EV upgrades revealed
Memorable ads from years past
In the last 10 years, the hamsters have made headlines for dancing to some of your favorite songs, including this ad where they jammed out to “Party Rock” by LMFAO with a bunch of robot aliens.
The little chubby fuzzballs even underwent something of a “refresh” when they appeared in a 2014 ad set to Lady Gaga’s “Applause,” where they got in shape before the big premiere of the new Soul.
Kaaaarma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
Now that we’ve gotten that song stuck in your head, let’s discuss this new Kia Soul commercial. The EX Designer Collection, X-Line, and GT-Line trims of the 2020 Soul are careening through what seems to be a fantasy land with gigantic mountains and rainbow-colored rocks. However, as the camera pans out, a chameleon tongue slurps up the Souls and we see the reptile from further away.
Kia says this new ad aligns with its “Give it Everything” campaign, stating that “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” That’s deep.
Ok…but where are the hamsters?
While this new ad is indeed innovative and attention-grabbing, some faithful hammy fans are not pleased with anything but the adorable rodents gracing their screen when it comes to the Kia Soul. Some are even going to the comments on YouTube to tell Kia how they feel, saying things like, “Nice commercial, but it would have been better if you used hamsters,” and our personal favorite, “No hamsters, no care!”
Do it For the Kids: These are the best Kia vehicles for families
Kia decided to quell some worries (or at least try to), by responding to one of the comments with, “We love the hamsters! But we heard that the hamsters are off on an epic road trip at the moment. Therefore, we adapted.” We’re hoping this means the hamsters will make an appearance in a commercial for the 2020 Soul EV in the near future.
VIDEO: Watch the 2020 Kia Soul commercial “The New Species of Soul”
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.