Mr. X may be getting a big head. Well, bigger than it already is.
The furry legless creature of undefined shape and a tiny black top hat has gone Hollywood with a starring role today in a Kia commercial during the Super Bowl . Mr. X, the product of Atlanta-based children's toy and clothing designer blabla, will take a joyride with a few famous friends in the made-in-West Point Kia Sorento.
Initially, Florence Wetterwald, who co-founded blabla with Susan Pritchett and Joseph Strong in 2001, wasn’t familiar with the Super Bowl. She’s French, and not a sports fan, but when she learned the doll she created could be seen by 100 million people, her reaction suited the occasion. “It was really exciting,” she said.
Mr. X, from blabla’s Boogaloo collection, was designed to be a mysterious creature from a mysterious place who served as a secret friend to his young companions, Wetterwald said. Her concept fit perfectly when the creatives working with Kia Motors came looking for the fifth wheel in what would become Kia’s first Super Bowl commercial.
“We wanted each of the characters to feature an attribute of the vehicle. Mr. X represents the fun attribute of this car,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing for Kia.
The other characters in the 60-second spot, expected to air during the third quarter (the full ad was previously released Friday on www.kia.com), include the agile Sock Monkey, the unique Muno of Nickelodeon’s “Yo Gabba Gabba!” and a comfy teddy bear and a super-techie robot designed specifically for the ad.
The motley crew hops into a Sorento and takes off for various adventures, including bowling, Jet Skiing, hot tubbing and more. The party ends when they wind up still a bunch of toys sitting in the backseat, which is precisely how Colin Jeffery of David & Goliath got the idea for the ad.
Kia wanted something to appeal to the Sorento’s target market of “mountain biking dads” and “blogging moms” who are married, with kids or expecting them, but reluctant to give up the activities of single life, Sprague said. Jeffery was cruising along with his 2-year-old son in tow when he spied a pile of stuffed creatures in the back seat and ZING! — a commercial was born.
One of the dolls was from blabla, so he called the company and asked for samples. Mr. X was a last-minute addition to the casting call, but he managed to wow the crowd and win the part.
Though fellow Boogaloos may be jealous of his success — blabla owners anticipate the doll will sell out — Mr. X is reportedly taking his fame in stride and enjoying his wild ride.
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