This Is What We're Waiting For — The Hamstars Return
by Jack Baruth
August 31st, 2012 8:32 AM
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Your humble author was charmed by the facelifted Kia Soul when I drove it last year. It’s a solid product, but its runaway popularity in the segment is at least partially due to a group of hamsters who rapped along to an old Black Sheep song.
After confronting robots with an LMFAO tune, the hamsters took a sabbatical — but they are back.
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That ad does nothing for me. At least the original was entertaining. And if the original was called CGI blackface, that implies there's something wrong with it. Putting it on display is no worse an insult than the fact it exists in the first place.
As an owner of not one but TWO Honda Elements, I was mightily amused with the original Kia Soul hamster ad that made playful jabs at driving a toaster. Heck, we Element wackos even refer to our cars as toasters. Last month, I rented a Soul for a few days and drove it on the Turquoise Trail from Albuquerque to Santa Fe and on the high road to Taos. I loved it! It's a great little vehicle and if one of the Elements got hit by a meteorite, I wouldn't even hesitate to drive to my nearest Kia dealer for a Soul. Hamsters rock, even to this Baby Boomer. Why, I just might wear my ballcap backwards when I go out grocery shopping this afternoon.
Not the "Hamsters" best work, but "Hamsters" none the less. Maybe because they are a couple of years older and are trying to grow as artists. Or their record label is pushing them into another direction. I watch the 1st 2 ads at least once a week. It did take awhile for the 2nd ad to grow on me. They always put a smile on my face, but I'm a simpleton. What's the big deal? If the Drive By Truckers can do a STP commercial, the Hamsters can certainly do a Kia commercial.
I've always been fond of Zip City where it ends with: Zip City it's a good thing that they built a wall around you Zip up to Tennessee then zip back down to Alabama I got 350 heads on a 305 engine I get ten miles to the gallon I ain't got no good intentions It is true that cars are a central fixture in their music. But, the music also give you a good idea on how poor whites live in a single wide on the wrong side of the tracks. I don't see the Richard Petty version too much anymore. But when I think of DBT I think gray, overcast skys and those commercials certainly are.