Kia Robo Dog Was More Than Just a Super Bowl Prop

Kia Robo Dog Was More Than Just a Super Bowl Prop

All the kids want one. That’s the effect Kia’s “Robo Dog” had in my house on Super Bowl Sunday. I’m more of a cat guy myself, but I can see the appeal. Cute dog. No walking. No mess. Can I get one? As it turns out, I can. The Robo Dog is more than just a Super Bowl prop. NFTs of the cute canine are being used to raise funds for homeless pets.

Kia, through a partnership with NFT platform Sweet and The Petfinder Foundation, has recreated the Robo Dog in a series of collectable NFTs that you can “adopt.” There are six pups in the collection. Bidding as of this morning ranged from $990 to $4200. The auction closes on Friday. 90% of the proceeds go to help animals find “forever homes.” You can Bid Here.    

This brings me great joy on multiple levels. It won’t make me invest in Kia (KIMTF). They’ll make more for the dogs than they will for their investors this year. The NFTs, on the other hand, could be a nice score for whoever wins them in auction. I’m also hoping the attention they draw will bring Sweet.io closer to an IPO. I’m all-in if Tom Mizzone takes them public.

Cue Hires Gal Gadot as Voice for Covid Testing Tech

The Cue Health (HLTH) commercial for an at-home Covid testing device was cool, but it took me a few iterations to get what they were promoting. Between the Alexa-like cube, a smart thermostat, and the voice of Wonder Woman narrating it all, the impact of the Cue itself was somewhat minimized. Their messaging needs work, but the stock is rising this week.

Investing in new technology is tricky. The “cool” factor is always a temptation, but it doesn’t mean the product will be successful. Amazon (AMZN) hit a home run with Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost poking fun at Alexa’s “mind-reading” abilities. They can be cool because it’s all about brand awareness for them. Cue doesn’t have that yet.

Concise messaging in mass media advertising is critical in a market driven by retail investors. A good example of this the eToro commercial. “Crypto? Stocks? Where to start?” They repeat it several times with some cool imagery and “Fly Me to the Moon” playing in the background. They’re going public via SPAC in Q2. Keep your eyes open for that one. 

Coinbase Floating QR Code Crashed the App

Anyone who thinks crypto is dead needs to pay attention to this. Coinbase (COIN) ran a sixty-second spot that was nothing more than a floating QR code with some background music. They paid $14 million for the spot. It produced 20 million hits in one minute, briefly crashing the Coinbase app. How’s that for ROI? The stock’s still down, but they increased their user base. 

The Super Bowl is super prime time for advertisers. More than 110 million viewers watched the late comeback drive by the Rams. Will that audience influence the stock market this year? Judging by the Coinbase numbers, we’re certainly going to see some new crypto investors. That’s good news for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). Check the numbers.        

       

 

 

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About the Author

Kia Robo Dog Was More Than Just a Super Bowl Prop

Kevin Flynn

A former financial professional and founder of AdvisorScale Financial Writing, Kevin lives in Leominster, Massachusetts with his wife Evelyn, two cats, and nine wonderful grandchildren.