Techathlete Games
- Brand
- Kia
- Year
- 2013
- Objective
- Product Launch
- Industry
- Automotive
- Mechanic
- Mini-Games
- Platform
- Social
- Agency
- David&Goliath
- With
- Resn
Objective
Kia wanted young, tech-minded shoppers to feel the 2014 Forte's connected features rather than read about them in a spec sheet, extending the "Respect the Tech" theme its Super Bowl "Hotbots" spot had already introduced. The push doubled as a Facebook retention play, giving fans a reason to keep coming back, compete, and share.
Solution
Players land on a low-poly stadium built for a mock "Techathlete" olympiad and pick from five events, each staged around a different input device instead of an athletic feat. Type-Wondo turns the keyboard into a typing sprint, Gymnas-Clicks tests mouse reflexes, and 100m Headles clocks a webcam-tracked dash. Sla-La-La-Lom has players shout commands into the mic to steer a slalom run, while Gy-Row-Scope pairs a phone with the computer for a rowing race. Every event ends with a score that posts straight to a shared leaderboard, which players can share back to Facebook and use to enter a running prize giveaway.
- 1
The player opens the app inside Facebook at techathletegames.com and is framed as a competitor in a techno-olympiad, tasked with proving they deserve a 2014 Kia Forte by clearing a series of device-based trials.
- 2
A menu presents five events set in one shared low-poly 3D world — Type-Wondo, Gymnas-Clicks, 100m Headles, Sla-La-La-Lom, and Gy-Row-Scope — each built around a different piece of hardware: keyboard, mouse, webcam, microphone, and smartphone.
- 3
Type-Wondo has the player compete by typing on the keyboard, a parody of taekwondo scored on speed and accuracy of keystrokes.
- 4
Gymnas-Clicks has the player perform a gymnastics routine using mouse clicks and cursor movement.
- 5
100m Headles uses the webcam: the player grants camera access and clears a hurdled hundred-meter dash by moving their head in frame instead of pressing keys.
- 6
Sla-La-La-Lom uses the microphone: the player steers a skier down a slalom course with their voice, echoing the Forte's voice-controlled navigation.
- 7
Gy-Row-Scope uses a connected smartphone: the player rows down a virtual river by swinging the phone like an oar, a nod to how easily the Forte pairs with a phone for music streaming.
- 8
After each run the player sees their score and ranking on a global online leaderboard, can share the result on social media, and can replay events to climb higher.
- 9
Playing also enters the player into a sweepstakes for gadgets such as an Xbox Kinect, a GoPro camera, a Nike+ FuelBand, and Beats by Dre headphones, with one entry allowed per day across six weekly periods.
