Article originally published on CarNewsCafe
Kia has decided to go with a “Matrix” themed Super Bowl commercial this year for the new luxury sedan that will be hitting streets soon, the Kia K900. (Yeah, I know somebody should have come up with a better name.) Laurence Fishburne reprises his role as Morpheus from The Matrix trilogy.
The 60-second The Truth TV spot is scheduled to air during the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl. Kia will follow the K900 advertising with online, print, broadcast campaigns too since who wants to spend all that money for just 60 seconds, right? For all that money Kia wants you to know the K900 is modern, elegant, and luxurious. Something you wouldn't expect from a Kia I imagine.
The Truth
The Kia Super Bowl spot starts off with an couple unsuspecting couple going up to a valet at fancy restaurant. Morpheus, the valet, offers an interesting choice, “Take the blue key, you go back to the luxury you know. Take the red key, and you’ll never look at luxury the same again.” A similar option Morpheus gives Neo in The Matrix, except the choice was pills.nes
Obviously the couple chooses the red key and Morpheus accompanies the couple on a ride in the Kia K900, luxury they would not have expected. The Super Bowl spot is supposed to explain “what luxury looks like.” More importantly is “what luxury sounds like” since Morpheus serenades the couple to “Nessun dorma” except the voice is Pavoritti. Unsure if Laurence Fishburne can sing or if he has a good voice. In case you didn't know the aria Nessun Dorma is from the opera Turandot by Giacomo Puccini.
As the Kia K900 drives by, two identical agents lookout at the car from a restaurant and see streetlights explode and high-rise buildings ripple like water.
It should be noted that the video here is a 90-second extended cut of the Kia K900 Super Bowl commercial that will be airing. It shows a woman in a red dress holding a spoon being bent but that won't be in the version that airs on TV.
With new 2015 Kia K900 V8 should go on sale sometime in the Spring. From what we've seen it has an impressive list of standard equipment and is not a badly designed car. It will be interesting to see what this Matrix commercial does for the K900 and if Morpheus aka Laurence Fishburne will help sell Kias.
What are your thoughts about the Kia Super Bowl commercial utilizing The Matrix as a theme? Let us know below.
It is NOT Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma. It is my brother, John Kimberling, an exceptionally talented tenor who sings with the Los Angeles County Opera and has a voice that rivals Pavarotti’s. He has been featured in many productions, has starred in the Steven Schwartz opera “Seance on a Wet Afternoon,” has appeared on a number of television shows, and does studio recording work for both television and movies.
Hi Julie,
Thanks for clearing that up. Glad to know your brother’s voice, John Kimberling, was used for the Kia commercial. I’m sure that must have been exciting for him. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Adam
Hi Adam, is there any way you can remove my comments (posted below) from this blog which I posted this morning on Feb 4th at 6:48am? Unfortunately I have mis-spoken and wish to retract my comments due to errors. Thanks JH
Another interesting fact about John Kimberling, (AKA my twin brother), whose voice is featured in the Kia 900 Superbowl commercial: John coached Laurence Fishburne for a period of about 2 weeks, (prior to the commercial shoot), in how to properly enunciate the Italian words to the aria “Nessun Dorma” which are lip-synced by Fishburne at the end of the commercial. Among other things, John sat in the back seat of the Kia 900, (with Fishburne), and sang as Fishburne watched in order to mimic the proper hand movements and body language while “singing” the aria. During the final take, John was actually lying on the hood of the car with his face close to the windshield so that Fishburne could see his mouth, to better mimic the words in real time, as the cameras rolled. John also said that Fishburne “fist-bumped” him after the first time he heard John sing Nessun Dorma acapella!
Congrats to your brother. I enjoyed the exceptional clarity…we discussed…
Found this only song sung by your on the web. Great stuff. Goulet, Ed Ames, etc.
http://youtu.be/qtzsAJqE1Qs
I’m sure you mean Los Angeles Opera. There is no “Los Angeles County Opera.” An internet search says that John Kimberling indeed has sung with the Los Angeles Opera, located in Downtown L.A. (Which is in the county of Los Angeles, but does not have the word “County” in its title.)
For 3o seconds millions of Americans(including myself ) suddenly realized why Opera is venerated for generations, as your brother’s voice cut through and grabbed us by the throat and heart. My finger froze over the mute button as Opera rose (with his voice ) above fat men in clown suits and fat lady sings jokes in a power and force that cut right through me. I don’t know what it did for Kia, but I know what it did for Opera. Thank you.