Why does the red paint of the new Picanto glow so mysteriously? Who is behind the distinctive ‘face’ of Kia’s small car? And what happened when Kia went searching for an unusual shade of black? Answers to these questions will be available from 2 February, 2011 on the blog “PicantoLeaks” (www.picantoleaks.com) in which a supposedly anonymous informer reveals incredible secrets about the new Kia.

The new Picanto Red is alleged to have come from ladybirds; the claim is also made that the faces of more than 800 people were secretly biometrically scanned as the template for the front of the car; and the search for the perfect black led to the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. Kia Motors will, naturally, immediately deny all of these revelations on its Facebook fan pages and via Twitter.

“This online campaign is part of a pre-marketing concept for the new Kia Picanto, which will be premiered at the Geneva Motor Show at the beginning of March and launched across Europe in the middle of the year,” says Benny Oeyen, Vice President Marketing and Product Planning, Kia Motors Europe. “This unusual campaign ironically plays with the concept of leak platforms that has been in the news recently. Kia is presenting itself as an open-minded, young brand, which also has a creative and challenging presence in the blogosphere and social networks.”

Editors’ Notes

Kia Motors Europe
Kia Motors Europe is the European sales, marketing, and service arm of Kia Motors Corporation. With its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, it covers 25 markets in Europe.

About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) – a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands.
Over 1.5 million vehicles a year are produced at 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries. These vehicles are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 172 countries. Kia today has more than 42,000 employees and annual revenues of almost US$14.6 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup.
Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan – ‘The Power to Surprise’ – represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

Press Contact

Ilona Tzudnowski
PR Manager Europe 
Tel.: +49 69 850 928 357
E-mail: i.tzudnowski@kia-europe.com

Kia Motors Europe GmbH
Theodor-Heuss-Allee 11
60486 Frankfurt, Germany