Kia and WeAreFearless launch 2022 Australian Open digital campaign Aces for Oceans

Automobile manufacturer Kia has launched its new 2022 Australian Open digital campaign, Aces for Oceans, headlined by tennis superstar Rafael Nadal and featuring a unique AR game giving fans the opportunity to serve aces from their mobile phones anywhere in the world. The campaign was created by sports, esports and entertainment agency WeAreFearless who also developed Kia’s campaigns for the Australian Open 2021 digital campaign and European League of Legends Championships Spring and Summer 2021. 

Launching globally, Aces for Oceans, will use success on the tennis court to inspire change off it. With ocean waste at record highs, Kia have committed to helping raise awareness of the ocean plastic problem and starting to turn the tide in 2022, giving our oceans a fighting chance. For aces hit during the Australian Open, Kia will be turning ocean bound plastic waste into recycled tennis equipment donated to the Rafa Nadal Foundation and The Australian Tennis Foundation. The initiative means players at the AO will be inspired to have a real world impact through the number of aces they hit and fans will also have the opportunity to have an impact through the unique AR game developed where they can also hit aces from anywhere in the world to combat ocean waste. The campaign launch is being headlined by Rafael Nadal and a team of global influencers who will be promoting the campaign to encourage fans to play the Aces for Oceans game and collate as many digital aces as possible. 

Aces for Oceans was developed using the WeAreFearless proprietary tool HumanValuesTM . The analysis revealed that the Kia audience has an ‘early adopter’ changemaker mindset meaning as much as they enjoy discovering new opportunities, they also value the bragging rights and social validation these bring them. A campaign with genuine real world impact and a mobile AR game where you can hit a high score was therefore the perfect blend to satisfy Kia audience’s deeper psychological needs. 

WeAreFearless founder Garry Dods said: “We’re delighted to be continuing our relationship with Kia and the Australian Open for 2022. ‘Aces for Oceans’ is the perfect blend of what we call boldness with backup. Disruptive creative with the power to inspire change, backed up by genuine scientific insight meaning the creative is much more relevant and engaging because we know it will satisfy our audience’s deeper values and psychological needs. We’re looking forward to another bold campaign and watching tennis stars alongside tennis fans from around the world hit aces to save our oceans!”