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Kia’s “Feel Something Again” Super Bowl Ad Stars F1 Icon Emerson Fittipaldi

It’s that time of the year again! Lots of automakers are teasing their Super Bowl ads in anticipation of the big game, and Kia appears to go all out this time around. For the most watched sporting event in the U.S., the peeps at Kia convinced F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi to do the talking.
Emerson Fittipaldi in "Feel Something Again" 2018 Kia Super Bowl ad 26 photos
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
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For the younger readers among us, Emerson is a semi-retired racing driver who at the age of 71 is still going strong. After all, he’s the first Brazilian to snatch the Drivers’ Championship title in Formula 1. The season that cemented Fittipaldi’s status unfolded in 1972, the year he became the youngest world champ in the uppermost formula of single-seater racing.

Emerson’s help came in the form of the magnificent Lotus 72 powered by the Ford-Cosworth DFV engine. Two years later in 1974, Emerson finished first in the ranking once more, but this time with the McLaren M23. Being such an important figure in the F1 narrative, the Brazilian was chosen by Kia for the 2018 Super Bowl ad for his sporting background.

The teaser for the commercial features Fittipaldi and two examples of the Stinger GT2, which is the range-topping trim level in the sporting sedan’s lineup. Leaning over on the silver-painted car and looking at the red Stinger in front of him, Emerson nods his head as if he’s giving his stamp of approval. Then the credits roll in, reading “Feel Something Again” as if this is an ad for a dating app.

Jokes aside, the meaning of the tagline couldn’t be more obvious in relation to the all-new Stinger. Here’s a quote from Gregory Guillaume, chief designer of Kia Motors Europe, from the liftback sedan’s premiere: “The Stinger has nothing to do with being the first to arrive at the destination - this car is all about the journey. It's about passion."

“Feel Something Again”
marks the 9th straight year of Kia’s involvement with the Super Bowl. The South Korean automaker is one of almost 50 companies to have paid a combined $419 million to run ads during the big game of 2017, which is a small price to pay for putting the brand in front of 113-plus million viewers.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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