Lowe France secures 80m Kia pan-Euro model launch

Korean car marque Kia has appointed InterpublicGroup-owned Lowe France to its £80m pan-European advertising business. Lowe Stratéus has been appointed to handle Kia’s C’eed model.

Kia called a review of the business last month, inviting both UK and European agencies to pitch. Lowe Stratéus, which works with Kia Motors France, is thought to have beaten a mix of roster and non-roster shops.

Until recently, Kia’s advertising has been handled on a market-by-market basis but the marque – along with sister brand Hyundai – has begun holding separate pit≠ches for individual models.

Mother was appointed to handle the launch of Hyundai’s i10 model last month but parted company with the car brand just two weeks later, saying it was “unable to agree satisfactory or reasonable contractual terms” (MW January 24).

Lowe Stratéus will create a pan-European advertising campaign for C’eed that will break later this year. It is expected to work closely with Kia’s in-house agency Innocean Worldwide. Mustoes, which handles Kia’s £20m UK advertising account, was not involved in the C’eed pitch.

Last year, Kia UK appointed former Toyota marketer Simon Hetherington as its first marketing director (MW June 21, 2007). He is part of a management team being put together by Paul Philpott, who joined as UK managing director at the start of last year.

Several other car companies pitch individual model launches between agencies, although most limit pitches to roster agencies.

Kia could not be reached for comment as Marketing Week went to press.