Australian Open 2022: Kia hitting all the correct strokes in their activation efforts

The 2022 edition of the Australian Open got underway on Monday, January 17. With the much-publicized Djokovic deportation saga coming to an end, the tournament itself is finally getting its due limelight. This also means that the sponsorship activations of the tournament's partners are beginning to shine through.

Kia, a major partner of the Australian Open 2022, and the longest serving Australian Open sponsor since 2002, is an exemplary example of this. Focusing heavily on sustainability, the automotive brand is leveraging the Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific heavily to showcase its commitment to sustainable mobility.

In keeping with their theme while commemorating the 21-year-old partnership with the Australian Open, Kia also leveraged their brand ambassadors Rafael Nadal and wheelchair tennis icon Dylan Alcott to launch their latest all-electric award-winning Kia EV6. The manufacturer is also supplying 130 vehicles for the tournament’s operational purposes.

Not willing to let the pedal off the metal, in yet another nod to their long-standing partnership, the brand also saw its very own Kia Arena, a 5000-seat state-of-the-art court come to life at Melbourne Park this year.

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Kia going big on digital for Australian Open

The brand has also come up with an environment-focused digital campaign called "Aces for Oceans," through which it is turning ocean waste into new sustainable tennis equipment that will then be donated.

Fans from around the world using either iOS or Android devices can contribute to this initiative by playing Kia’s Augmented Reality (AR) game on the mobile-only microsite acesforoceans.com. The goal is to reach 20,000 aces via this AR game to help Kia in its efforts to churn out the promised sustainable equipment. The game is also testament to brands’ increasing adoption of technology in their fan engagement efforts.

Beyond the Aces for Oceans campaign, Kia has also weaved its message with the inspiring tagline "Movement That Inspires" into the Australian Open.

In yet another case of a strategic sports sponsorship approach by Kia, they also doubled down on promoting inclusivity with three-time Paralympic gold medallist Alcott. With 15 singles Grand Slam titles and eight doubles Grand Slams, the 31-year-old is nothing short of a legend, not just in Australia but in world tennis.

Given the size of his achievements, the association is clearly not trying to portray diversity for diversity’s sake.

The level of meaningful engagement and integration by Kia around the Australian Open 2022 is something that is sure to be appreciated by both tennis novices and hardcore fans of the sport, as well as sports marketers advocating for meaningful brand and rights holder partnerships.

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Kia's efforts in line with experts' predictions for 2022

The global business of sport has seen more brands making use of their major sponsorships in more meaningful ways. They are making efforts to align with causes important to contemporary society in order to make their partnerships a win-win situation for the rights holders, fans, and themselves.

The tone of Kia’s messaging and their focus on sustainability also align with what sports industry experts have predicted to be of increasing importance in 2022 and beyond.

Ricardo Fort is the former chief of global sponsorships for Coca-Cola. He is an industry leader who has worked extensively with major Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and NFL campaigns and founded Sport by Fort Consulting. He predicted the following trend for 2022:

Kia has clearly set the tone and bar for brands going the sustainability route with their sponsorship activations in 2022. It promises to be an interesting year ahead as more brands look to tie their sporting event campaigns around themes that are important to society.

The Australian Open is currently taking place in Melbourne from January 17 - January 30.