Kia redefines SUV marketing with a custom hub generating 22,000+ visits in Saudi Arabia

Goals

Launching a new SUV in today’s market isn’t just about features and horsepower—it’s about relevance, timing, and meeting customers where they are. In Saudi Arabia, a competitive and rapidly evolving automotive market, standing out requires more than just a bold design or a compelling engine specification. It requires a shift in mindset, from selling to connecting.

When Kia set out to introduce the latest model of its compact SUV, the Sportage, they knew traditional automotive marketing wouldn't cut through the noise. The modern driver in Saudi Arabia is digitally savvy, passion-led, and increasingly turning to online platforms not just to shop, but to discover.

Kia’s goal was to bring the Sportage to life in a way that would not only drive awareness but also inspire exploration and engagement in moments that matter. By blending lifestyle relevance with digital discovery, Kia set out to redefine SUV marketing—aligning the brand with everyday passions while reaching shoppers at key moments of consideration and intent.

Kia Sportage campaign video

Approach

Kia started with insight, identifying three lifestyle passions that reflected the spirit of the Sportage driver: cycling, kayaking, and paddleboarding. These activities weren’t just recreational—they represented the freedom, versatility, and adventure that the Sportage was built to enable. Kia set out to bring this understanding to life through an experience that felt both authentic and immersive.

The automotive brand partnered with Amazon Ads to design an immersive, first-of-its-kind experience through a custom landing page that introduced users to “The World of Kia Sportage.” This curated environment featured videos, striking imagery, product specs, and shoppable lifestyle gear like paddleboards, kayaking equipment, and cycling accessories that echoed the vehicle’s adventurous spirit. The page was designed not just to inform, but to inspire exploration and discovery.

To scale the campaign, Kia executed a Homepage Takeover (H1), placing the Sportage front and center for nearly all Amazon.sa shoppers in Saudi Arabia. This was supported by Amazon DSP, with display ads running across Amazon as well as third-party apps and websites to re-engage audiences and deepen interaction. By blending immersive content with a suite of Amazon Ads solutions, Kia successfully created a rich, multi-layered experience that resonated with audiences and reinforced that the Sportage is more than a car—it’s part of a lifestyle.

Results

The Amazon DSP campaign delivered over 7.3 million impressions, generating 15K+ clicks and a click-through rate (CTR) of 0.21%, which is more than double the regional benchmark for similar automotive campaigns.¹ But the real success came through the depth of engagement. More than 22K+ unique visitors explored “The World of Kia Sportage,” spending almost half a minute on the page, achieving a 33% increase vs. benchmarks.² The landing page also saw a strong CTR of 13%, gaining 30% over the average, indicating that the experience resonated with the right audience.³

By bringing the Sportage to life on Amazon.sa, Kia created a branded environment where storytelling and shopping naturally intersected. Visitors to the custom landing page didn’t just learn about the SUV—they explored it alongside curated paddleboards, cycling gear, and kayaking equipment that reflected the lifestyle it was built for. This seamless integration of content and commerce allowed Kia to position the Sportage not just as a product, but as part of a broader lifestyle—demonstrating how automotive brands can use Amazon to inspire discovery, spark consideration, and stay top of mind in moments of intent.

Sources

^1-3 Amazon Internal Data, KSA, 2024.