Beck 1

Lauren Beck

Professor Moore

English 1301

25 April 2017

The World Needs More Soul

The Kia Motors America automobile manufacturer is well known for its Kia Soul

hamster commercials. They always display such a vivid and upbeat ad that is sure to capture the

viewers attention, and their 2016 #ShareSomeSoul commercial is no exception. Although, it

may have more to represent than just the Kia Soul itself. The commercial starts off as a lone,

Nathaniel Radcliff, sitting on a tree stump strumming a tune on an acoustic guitar. Soon, the

familiar Kia Soul drives up and out steps one of the famous hamsters strumming along with him,

but playing a banjo. Shortly thereafter, the passenger hamster jumps out to join in the tunes. This

hamster, however, is a bit more eccentric, and plays the electric guitar with a little twist on their

music. The three are then quickly accompanied by numerous musicians, both hamsters and

humans, each playing their own instruments. While the commercial itself has little to do with the

Kia Soul physically, the viewer may notice each instrument introduced is unique to its character

and originates from a different ethnicity. The abundance of musical instruments played by

characters of different ethnicities in the Kia Soul commercial charms the viewer by displaying a

welcoming of diversity; A very hot topic in todays society.

The picture of diversity is painted in the viewers head from start to finish. Beginning

with the introduction of the commercial, a new musical instrument is introduced with its

character. First the acoustic guitar, then the banjo, electric guitar, trombone, marching drums, and

so on. The tunes incipiently are a small casual group of musicians harmonizing in song, but then
 Beck 2

quickly turn into a sundry shindig with natives from all backgrounds joining in with their own

instruments. Each piece represents a different ethnicity while having the character, being a

human or hamster, dressed according to that ethnicity. The diversity among the crowds reaches

from the everyday guitars, ukuleles, brass, and woodwinds, all the way to sitars, bagpipes, and

various forms of percussion such as African Drums. The vibe from all of the various characters

celebrating harmoniously embraces the idea of heterogeneity and in a sense, brings the viewers

together. This is far different than most things today that drive apart the people of society.

Diversity is a major topic in todays world. With all the talk on acceptance and roles

different ethnics play in our nation, Kia took the opportunity to jump right in and express their

vision. As Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and EVP of Kia Motors America said, "The

hamsters have always been plugged-in to what is going on in the world around us, and in the

'The World Needs More Soul' campaign they are back to share their infectious spirit of optimism

and celebrate things that bring people together like music and dance. With each Soul execution,

we strive to bring a fresh musical perspective and 'Soul Jam' blends a variety of styles and

cultures with a highly recognizable piece of music to create something fun and different that

stands out from the crowd, just like the Soul.". By allowing different articles of music to show

throughout the commercial, such as the Indian Sitar, Kia promotes diversity among its viewers.

This message is brought on by such a lively, high spirited air that is sure to put a smile on

anyones face and leaving a great impression of pure bliss. Music is something every person can

relate to. Dating back to even war times, people used music as a declaration of their feelings on

the current world issues, it has always had a great influence on the public. "Music is the one true

universal language. It transcends borders and boundaries, connecting people on an emotional

level because it's something we can all understand, feel and appreciate. In this case, the hamsters
 Beck 3

use the power of music to unite people from around the world." said Colin Jeffery, chief creative

officer of David & Goliath. Music is a way to communicate feelings, thoughts, and even to

address the current conflicts. Which is exactly what Kia accomplished with their 2016

#ShareSomeSoul commercial.