Kia Uses AR to Give Consumers Free Cars

Using an augmented reality experience through Facebook Messenger, Kia Motors is letting consumers virtually park a Stinger Sports Sedan in their driveways.

The existing Kia Bot app now lets consumers place a 3D rendering of the Stinger GT in their driveway, garage or other locale — in their choice of color, of course. The AR images can be shared via conversations in Messenger, added as images and films to individual Stories, or saved to smartphones. 

“The Stinger is like nothing anyone has ever seen from Kia,” said Kimberley Gardiner, the automaker's director, marketing communications. “The addition of AR into the Kia Bot for Facebook Messenger allows us to provide car buyers with extended interactions on the social media platforms they use most.”

“Integrating AR camera affects into their messaging experience will allow customers to get up close and personal with the Stinger and visualize the car in a new and engaging way,” added Heath Black, Messenger product manager.

Kia was the exclusive car maker chosen by Facebook to participate in the initial launch of AR for the Messenger platform.  The move follows long-term success for the Kia Bot for Messenger initiative, which began in November 2016 with a bot for the Niro hybrid crossover model. A year later, Kia launched “Kian," a second-generation digital assistant. The latter featured the full Kia model lineup and has generated more than one million messages, according to the company.

Kian is built on an AR and machine learning-powered consumer engagement platform for visitors to the brand's Facebook page and Kia.com. Consumers can research pricing, estimate payments, check out offers and see photos and videos. They can also compare Kia vehicles to the competition, check inventory levels and find local dealers. 

While Kia’s partnership with Facebook is unique, it's not the only auto maker using AR in its marketing. At the 2018 New York International Auto Show, Dodge showcased two Demons in a virtual drag race. The cars bucked in place and gave attendee “drivers” vibration feedback as they sped down the strip.

Nissan has used AR to explain safety features, making sales pitches far more engaging than watching a video. At the Auto Show, users put on glasses and focused on different icons floating in front of them to learn about the Nissan Leaf’s newest safety features.

Last December, Nissan dealers in North America staged an AR-driven Star Wars promotion for the Rogue, Maxima and Titan brands. Showroom visitors could don headgear and activate an experience in which Star Wars characters demonstrated those vehicles’ safety features.