Steven Tyler Sets Aging In Reverse In Kia Super Bowl Ad
Steven Tyler looks younger than he did 45 years ago, thanks to a time-traveling Kia and a CGI makeover. The Aerosmith frontman starred in a 2018 Super Bowl commercial for the Kia Stinger set to his 1973 rock anthem, “Dream On.” In the high-profile 60-second spot, Steven goes into reverse to roll back the clock as he takes a turn on a dusty race track as two-time Formula One and Indianapolis 500 champion Emerson Fittipaldi looks on.
At the end of his rock ‘n roll road trip, Steven Tyler emerges a refreshed, younger version of himself circa the 1970s. The message of the ad is “Feel something again,” which seems a little melancholy for a man who was once known as one of the biggest rock stars of his say.
According to The Drum, Steven Tyler’s Kia Super Bowl commercial was created by ad agency David & Goliath as a message of optimism. David & Goliath chairman David Angelo said the ad’s tagline was inspired by his own personal experience with the car.
“After test driving the Stinger and all its competitors, the biggest difference was that the Stinger made me feel something,” he said.
Angelo added that while his team could have gone the humorous route with the Kia Stinger ad, they opted with a more serious tone, something that most of this year’s other Super Bowl advertisers seemed to do.
The ad exec explained that the company chose Steven Tyler to star in the spot because “like the Stinger, he is a challenger brand himself with an ageless, audacious spirit.”
Of course, Steven Tyler is now 69 years old, so getting him to look like his 1970s self was a bit of a challenge, even with a Super Bowl-sized budget. As Aerosmith fans know, Steven has maintained his youthful, energetic personality over the years, but in his heyday, he was a hard-partying Toxic Twin.
“One of the biggest challenges was authentically re-creating the 25-year-old version of Steven,” Angelo admitted. “We had to get that absolutely right. Fortunately, thanks to the amazing artists at The Mill, we were able to get the glowing approval of Steven, his daughter, friends and a handful of rockers who know him best.”
You can see Steven Tyler’s Kia Super Bowl ad below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YVbVXOjJv4
Incidentally, Steven Tyler included a little rock ‘n’ roll surprise in the Kia commercial. As a nod to rock stars who hid secret messages in their albums back in the day, Steven included a secret message into the ad. Fans can decipher the message by watching the spot in reverse on the brand’s YouTube channel.
The Kia ad isn’t Steven Tyler’s first foray into Super Bowl turf. The rocker previously starred in a 2016 Skittles Super Bowl ad titled “The Portrait.” In addition, Tyler, who formed Aerosmith in Boston more than 40 years ago, is a diehard New England Patriots fan. Tyler even posted social media photos of himself at the Super Bowl LII matchup between the Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. But with the Patriots’ loss, it looks like the Kia Stinger commercial was the highlight of Steven Tyler’s Super Bowl Sunday this year.
