Kia appoints M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment to global tennis brief

Kia has hired M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment to work on its global partnership with Spanish star Rafael Nadal and the Australian Grand Slam tournament.

The agency has already delivered two campaigns as Nadal returned to training during lockdown and recently won the French Open.

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment was chosen to lead the global brief after a competitive pitch process.

Kia is a major sponsor of tennis, including the Australian Open since 2002 and Nadal for 16 years.

The first campaign M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment delivered marked the renewal of the Nadal-Kia partnership.

The '#GetRafaMoving' campaign (below), was aired from the Rafael Nadal Academy in his hometown of Mallorca, Spain. The livestream enabled fans to join in and vote in real time, as well as ask the tennis ace questions.

The second campaign, '#TakeOn20', galvanised fans to show their support for Nadal during the French Open. 

With only a limited number of fans allowed in the stadium to watch the tournament due to the COVID-19 crisis, Kia offered its platform to make sure fans were heard on social media and throughout Paris through a series of fly posters and projections.

Nadal equalled Roger Federer's all-time Grand Slam record of 20 titles with his victory at Rolland Garos on 11 October.

Through the activation, Kia will donate funds to the Rafa Nadal Foundation, which promotes the social integration and development of young people through sports.

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment is also working on projects for next year’s Australian Open.

“With its global brand-building expertise and creative ambition, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment is well suited to help take our 16-year partnership with Rafa to a new level of engagement with fans, despite the physical distancing challenges that persist around the world,” Kia head of brand experience Michael Choo said.

“We look forward to working closely together to bring Rafa’s inspiration to as many people as possible in fresh, innovative ways.”

Rich Barker, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment co-managing director, said: “Kia has long been a company we have admired for its smart and effective investments in sport around the world. It truly understands the power of consumers’ passions to drive value for its brand. Rafa is one of the world’s sporting greats and we are thrilled to be building on the foundations of this incredible partnership.”