Kia responds to a concerning ad

By: American Decency Staff

Kia responds to our expression of concern regarding their pedophilia ad. Many of you responded to our Friday, June 24 email alert. http://bit.ly/jRLxFj See Kia’s letter of apology and explanation below. Your email to Kia attached below has been forwarded to me and I wanted to personally respond to you on behalf of Kia Motors America – thank you for taking the time to let us know of your feelings. Kia Motors America (KMA) is aware of the offensive piece of advertising materials and has learned that it was created by an ad agency in Brazil that KMA has no business relationship with and has never worked with.  Again, it was NOT created in the U.S. by Kia Motors America or any of its marketing partners. Rest assured that this ad does not reflect the opinions or values of KMA or Kia Motors Corporation.  The ad is undoubtedly inappropriate, and on behalf of Kia Motors we apologize to those who have been offended by it.  We can guarantee this advertisement has NEVER and will NEVER be used in any form in the United States , and our global headquarters in Seoul , South Korea is addressing the issue with the independent Brazilian distributor. Again, thank you for your time to make us aware of your concerns and we hope that you find this additional information helpful.  If you still have questions that may not be addressed by this email, please feel free to contact the Kia Consumer Assistance Center at 800.333.4Kia (4542) and we will be happy to assist you. Sincerely, Michele Cameron Director, Consumer Affairs & Warranty Operation Kia Motors America, Inc. Direct Telephone:  949.468.4617 Fax:  949.468.4805 Email:  mcameron@kiausa.com In closing, though we have some concerns (and questions), we are thankful that Kia is distancing themselves from this horrid ad. Question #1:  Why did a Brazilian ad agency create an ad for Kia? Question #2:  Will this ad be used in another country? If so why isn’t this ad inappropriate everywhere? Question #3: How can it be that a company, albeit an independent company, produce an ad for Kia? Question #4:  Did Kia have awareness of this ad as it was being produced and/or being released? Question #5:  The Huffington Post reported that the ad took home the Silver Press Lion at the prestigious Cannes Lion Awards.  What is Kia’s connection to this? Question #6:  Is Kia only expressing regret because they got caught? At any rate, the ad is truly disgusting and outrageous but we are thankful for Kia’s acknowledgement. To express appreciation to Kia: Michele Cameron Director, Consumer Affairs & Warranty Operations Kia Motors America, Inc. Direct Telephone:  949.468.4617 Fax:  949.468.4805 Email:  mcameron@kiausa.com ========================================================== Register for our summer event featuring Gary Bauer, Friday, July 29, at 7:00 pm https://secure4.afo.net/ada/registration.php?eventno=28 Your support is important to our ability to make a difference. Donate online at: https://secure4.afo.net/ada/donate.php American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org

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