- Kia lets fans call the shots in interactive training session with tennis legend
- Event marks five-year extension of Kia’s Global Brand Ambassador partnership
(SEOUL), July 24, 2020 – Kia Motors Corporation, the major partner of the Australian Open, announced a five-year partnership renewal with tennis all-time great Rafael Nadal via a global livestream training session hosted on his official Facebook page. The broadcast gave fans the opportunity to help get Nadal back to match fitness, as he prepares for his return to the court.
The renewal signing will extend the Nadal-Kia partnership beyond the 20-year mark, as then-young tennis phenom was first sponsored by Kia Spain back in 2004 before becoming Kia’s Global Brand Ambassador two years later at only 19 years of age.
Aired from the Rafael Nadal Academy in his hometown of Mallorca, Spain, the live stream aimed to #GetRafaMoving with fans joining to vote in real-time. Through a series of emojis, fans had total control and tailored the session based on what they wanted to see most from Nadal. Throughout the unique training, Nadal took on a range of drills from knocking down targets from baseline to returning over balls with amazing trick shots.
After taking on the fan-led training session, Nadal commented, “Fans have been without tennis for months now, particularly mine since besides my practice routines at the Rafa Nadal academy I haven’t been active, so I really enjoyed putting on a special event for them.”
“Kia has been by my side since I was 17 years old and has played a big part in my journey as a professional tennis player and as a person. I’m excited to see what the next five years bring both on and off the court,” he added.
Kia Motors President & CEO, Ho Sung Song, said, “Our 16-year partnership with Rafa has inspired millions of people to play tennis, so at a time when he needs his fans the most, we wanted to put them at the heart of his training and encourage his successful return to competition. We are excited about extending our partnership for the next five years and look forward to inspiring each other to continually move forward.”
The live stream was hosted on Nadal’s official Facebook page on Friday 24th July at 11:00 (CET) and can be found on Kia’s worldwide social channels.
About Kia Motors India (KMI)
In April 2017, Kia Motors signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, India, to build a new manufacturing facility in Anantapur District. Construction of Kia Motors’ first manufacturing facility in India has been completed and commenced the mass production in August 2019. The manufacturing facility has an annual production capacity of approximately 300,000 units. Kia Motors has made a mark in India with its first product – the Seltos establishing itself as a trusted brand with record bookings of 6,046 on the first day of bookings. Kia Motors India has a widespread network of 265 customer’s touchpoints, in 160 cities across Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities in India.
About Kia Motors Corporation
Kia Motors (www.kia.com) is a maker of world-class quality vehicles for the young-at-heart. Founded in 1944, Kia today sells around 3 million vehicles a year in over 190 countries, with 52,000 employees worldwide, annual revenues of over KRW 58 trillion (about US$50 billion) and manufacturing facilities in six countries. Kia is spearheading the transition to electric vehicles and pursuing mobility services to help tackle urban challenges around the world. The company's brand slogan – "The Power to Surprise" – represents Kia’s global commitment to surprise the world with exciting, inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.
For more information, please visit the Kia Motors Global Media Center at www.kianewscenter.com
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