The last time carmaker Kia went viral on TikTok, it was because people had discovered an exploit that made certain models easy to steal, and were encouraging others to take the “Kia Challenge” and go joyriding in a freshly thieved car.
Now, Kia’s hoping to make another splash on the platform—this time, one that doesn’t result in a bunch of grand theft auto.
It’s following in the footsteps of companies like Warner Bros. and Southwest Airlines by introducing a new creator-led campaign that lets people build their ideal 2025 Kia K4 directly on TikTok’s platform—thanks to a little help from TikToker artists.
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The “TikTok Creator Car Configurator” takes people through an entire, slickly animated augmented reality build process with animations that were designed by creators @alainbuii, @sirwrender, @hallietut, @daphnedtle, @tylertometich, @henryvanwincoop, @mirandamorey_, and @nathan_ham.
As users swipe through options for things like body color and type of interior, creator-made animations splash across the car. These aren’t cartoony, either: they’re full-fledged CGI, and look pretty cool in action:
@kiausa Build your very own #KiaK4 with the help of some of TikTok coolest creators. ✨Link in bio @alainbuii @sirwrender @hallietut @daphnedtle @tylertometich@henryvanwincoop @mirandamorey_ @nathan_ham ♬ original sound – Kia America
Once a user is finished making their K4, Kia’s TikTok tool generates a walkaround, so it’s almost like they’re on an IRL lot, looking at what might be their next car. Then it pops them over to the Kia website, no doubt in hope that they’ll decide to click “Buy.”
“In an ever-changing world, the ‘Kia TikTok Creator Car Configurator’ is a new way to connect with consumers on one of the most popular online platforms,” Russell Wager, Kia America’s VP of Marketing, said in a statement. “This configurator allows the user to choose the colors and options they want and build a specific K4 that best suits their needs in a way never available until now. The all-new Kia K4 is a dynamic vehicle and therefore needed an equally dynamic way to deliver an experience unlike any other.”
While a new car is a much bigger ecommerce commitment than something like a movie ticket and thus might not see as much traction with TikTok’s young-leaning audience, this campaign shows that brands across industries are looking at TikTok as a viable way to sell products with a new breed of interactive experiences.
It also shows that influencer marketing has reached a point where long-established companies that haven’t really worked with creators before are becoming willing to let creators make decisions in major campaigns. Letting creators design the core animations for this tool put a lot of control in their hands—and gave Kia some street cred with their audiences, considering some of the comments on creators’ posts about the campaign.
