Kia Corporation, the South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday announced to support the Australian Open 2022 (AO22) – the prestigious tennis Grand Slam event of the Asia-Pacific region – with a series of marketing activities that highlight the company’s vision for and commitment to sustainable mobility.
As the Major Partner of AO22, Kia on Thursday held an official vehicle handover ceremony at the newly christened Kia Arena in Melbourne Park, attended by Kia and Tennis Australia executives, former Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal and wheelchair tennis champion Dylan Alcott.
Kia presented a fleet of 130 vehicles to tournament officials comprised of the popular Sportage SUV, Carnival MPV and EV6 fully electric crossover. The vehicles will transport players, match officials and VIPs in comfort and safety around Melbourne Park during the Open from January 17-30.
Commenting on the development, Artur Martins, Head of Kia’s Global Brand and Customer Experience said: “As the major partner of the Australian Open for over two decades, we look forward to deepening our engagement with millions of fans around the world, while cementing the status of the Australian Open as one of the world’s most exciting sporting events.”
“In line with our commitment to spurring innovation that is inspired by nature, we are pleased to work with Tennis Australia and fans to help preserve oceanic environments around the globe through our ‘Aces for Oceans’ campaign. With each ace served during the AO and fans’ online participation, Kia will assist those aspiring to reach their tennis dreams by donating tennis equipment made with recycled waste materials to the Australian Tennis Foundation,” he added.
A key development for AO22 is the inauguration of Kia Arena, a 5,000-seat capacity stadium that will host tournament matches. Kia Arena is the fourth-largest Australian Open stadium at Melbourne Park and was constructed ahead of the 2022 event. It will also be utilized as a venue for diverse cultural, sports and entertainment programs outside of the tournament schedule.
On the other hand, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley praised the two-decade-long partnership between Kia and the AO and said: “The partnership between Kia and the Australian Open is one of the longest in Australian sport and we value and respect this unique relationship that has helped us grow the AO into the premium global sports and entertainment event that it is today.”
“The Kia fleet, which includes the new all-electric vehicles for 2022, has become an iconic symbol of the AO, with the smartly branded AO Kia cars zipping around the city and keeping the AO on the move. It’s also a testament to our strong relationship that we are standing here beside Kia Arena, a year-round symbol of the friendship between Kia and the AO at Melbourne Park,” he added.
Aside from these events and developments, Kia said it will operate an EV6 exhibition booth and diverse marketing activities featuring engaging digital contents.
“As the exclusive major partner of the Australian Open since 2002, Kia will continue to offer innovative brand-related experiences to customers around the world, leveraging the various synergies created from the Australian Open,” the company said in a statement.