Kia Canada Builds Giant Arcade Machine for Luminato with Original Music by Kid Koala

• Kia Canada is Luminato Festival's Official Automotive Partner for third consecutive year
  
• Giant "arcade-stallation" will build on the brand's recent TV spot "8-bit"
  
• Luminato Arts Festival takes place at Toronto Metro Hall from June 14 to 23

TORONTO, June 17, 2013 /CNW/ - Kia Canada Inc. has built one of the world's largest arcade machines for their partnership of Luminato Festival 2013, international premier arts and cultural festival. Dubbed an "arcade-stallation," the 14-foot tall arcade machine was conceived by Kia Canada's creative agency of record, Innocean Worldwide Canada, as part of Kia's 2013 "Designed to" campaign featuring the TV spot 8-bit which headlined the launch of the all-new 2014 Forte sedan.

Since the all-new 2014 Kia Forte comes with a host of technology features that lets drivers connect to the world around them, the strategy for the new model was that it was "designed for the digital world." In the launch TV spot which began airing in March, this idea was creatively interpreted with a city transforming into an iconic 8-bit world as a young couple drives through it. At the end, an 8-bit fly gets humorously flattened on the windshield.

The objective of the arcade game at Luminato is to avoid hitting the same 8-bit fly from the television spot. Called Splat!, the "arcade-stallation" has a real all-new 2014 Kia Forte sedan built into it along with an 8-foot wide screen above that gives players a full-size view as they play the game from behind the vehicle. Having a real 2014 Kia Forte built into the "arcade-stallation" also allows it to serve as a vehicle display, where visitors can learn about its features.

In addition to the "arcade-stallation", Kia Canada is the presenting partner of Kid Koala's Space Cadet Concert, which opens this year's Luminato Festival for the first two evenings. Kid Koala is a world-renowned Montréal artist, who also has created an original soundtrack for the Splat! arcade game.

"Kia Canada's partnership with the Luminato Festival has allowed to engage and expose our brand to a diverse group of festivalgoers over the last three years" said Robert Staffieri, Director of Marketing, Kia Canada Inc. "By aligning with inspirational artists like Kid Koala and the development of  Splat! 'arcade-stallation', our presence offers a fun way to engage attendees and introduce the all-new 2014 Forte sedan."

In addition to the "arcade-stallation", there are also four regular-sized arcade machines at the Kia's Luminato space. As a bonus, visitors have the chance to win tickets to feature performances at the festival. A winner will be chosen every day based on the day's Splat! high score.

This is Kia Canada's third year as Official Automotive Partner of the Luminato Arts Festival. It is currently running at Toronto Metro Hall from June 14 to 23. Kia's arcade activation is running from June 14 to 19, 2013 at the Festival Hub in David Pecaut Square.

About Kia Canada Inc.:
Kia Canada Inc. (www.kia.ca - www.facebook.com/kiacanada) a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart is a subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation (KMC) which was founded in 1999 and sells and services high quality, class leading vehicles like the Soul, Forte, Optima and Sorento through a network of 181 dealers nationwide. Kia Canada Inc. employs 162 people in its Mississauga, Ontario headquarters and four regional offices across Canada, with an all-new state-of-the-art facility to open in Montreal shortly. Kia's brand slogan "The Power to Surprise" represents the company's global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting & inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.

SOURCE: KIA Canada Inc.

Jack Sulymka   T: 905.755.6266
National PR and Corporate Partnerships Manager C: 905.301.6207
Kia Canada Inc.   E: [email protected]

Daniel Ponzini   T: 905.755.6415
Public Relations and Events Coordinator   C: 647.462.8986
Kia Canada Inc.   E: [email protected]