Sigh... Viral Marketing Tricksters Knock on our Door with a Kia Called Mediocrity

<a href="http://trends-automotive.blogspot.com/2010/09/sigh-viral-marketing-tricksters-knock.html"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522004136649661746" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIZgWU9nTI/AAAAAAADWd8/bkIMsKaXrFw/s800/Kia-Mediocrity-01.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 645px; height: 349px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">We not sure how Kia's marketing people are going to feel about this one (unless they're part of it...), but photos of an older generation <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Kia%20Optima">Optima</a> covered in beige cladding and featuring a badge with the word "MEDIOCRITY" have just landed in our mail box. Tony B, the tipster-reader-scooper who sent in the photos, claims he snagged the car in LA.<br /></span><p></p><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIcYUKKJnI/AAAAAAADWeU/KOri0Vcfvwk/s1600/Kia-Mediocrity-3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522007297163404914" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIcYUKKJnI/AAAAAAADWeU/KOri0Vcfvwk/s200/Kia-Mediocrity-3.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 67px;" /></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Of course, it didn't take long to figure out that this is a viral campaign of some sort. However, since we're gearing up for this week's Paris Motor Show, we're not going to waste our time looking for answers about a covered up Kia...<br /></span></p><p><a name="more"></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Nonetheless, this is what we know: the photos we're shot on September 10; a similar set of images along with an almost identical text were also sent to <a href="http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1049819_spy-shots-the-2012-mediocrity-or-a-waste-of-our-time" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Motorauthority</span></a> (even though they mistook it for a "seven year old" Mitsubishi). See both texts below:<br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>From Tony to Carscoop:<br /></strong></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"I was in LA last week and saw 3 or maybe 4 identical test cars. The other spy cars had more testing gear taped on and computers and other screens visible, but by the time I was able to find my camera , I was only able to catch up with one of the cars.<br /></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I don't know what kind of test car this is, but they sure didn't want us to take any pictures. There was a M on the grille and a nameplate on back reading MEDIOCRITY. Are they serious? MEDIOCRITY?"<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><strong>From Tina to MA:<br /></strong></span></p><p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"I was in L.A. last week with my husband and we saw several (5 or 6) identical test cars. The other spy cars had more testing gear taped on and computers and other screens visible, but by the time I was able to dig my camera out of my purse, I was only able to catch up with one of the cars.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I don't know what kind of test car this is, but they sure didn't want us to take any pictures. There was a M on the grille and a nameplate on back reading MEDIOCRITY. Are they serious? MEDIOCRITY?"</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">And well, that's about it. Feel free to have some fun in the comments section below.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Scoop" Pictures:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYnUkv7nI/AAAAAAADWdk/_luQkpP7YHw/s1600/Kia-Mediocrity-6.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003156926459506" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYnUkv7nI/AAAAAAADWdk/_luQkpP7YHw/s200/Kia-Mediocrity-6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYm00hilI/AAAAAAADWdc/Eiy0s_whDAw/s1600/Kia-Mediocrity-5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003148402690642" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYm00hilI/AAAAAAADWdc/Eiy0s_whDAw/s200/Kia-Mediocrity-5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmtyuf6I/AAAAAAADWdU/wTsrtYQuxks/s1600/Kia-Mediocrity-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003146516103074" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmtyuf6I/AAAAAAADWdU/wTsrtYQuxks/s200/Kia-Mediocrity-4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmuF-TQI/AAAAAAADWdM/cdA8N018JIM/s1600/Kia-Mediocrity-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003146596830466" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmuF-TQI/AAAAAAADWdM/cdA8N018JIM/s200/Kia-Mediocrity-3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmVsdeUI/AAAAAAADWdE/-0twDnm0HOM/s1600/Kia-Mediocrity-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003140047370562" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmVsdeUI/AAAAAAADWdE/-0twDnm0HOM/s200/Kia-Mediocrity-2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmKCfMyI/AAAAAAADWc8/QePV9olB3BI/s1600/Kia-Mediocrity-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003136918532898" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIYmKCfMyI/AAAAAAADWc8/QePV9olB3BI/s200/Kia-Mediocrity-1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 204, 204);">____________________________________________________________________</span><br /></p><br /><p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2004 Kia Optima:</span></p><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIZPEkKMHI/AAAAAAADWds/WuQjUdA4cBg/s1600/optima2004-2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003839823786098" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIZPEkKMHI/AAAAAAADWds/WuQjUdA4cBg/s320/optima2004-2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 168px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIZPRoCu3I/AAAAAAADWd0/Ue1HtoObeJo/s1600/optima2004-1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522003843329735538" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/TKIZPRoCu3I/AAAAAAADWd0/Ue1HtoObeJo/s320/optima2004-1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 321px; height: 170px;" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br /></span></p>

Sigh... Viral Marketing Tricksters Knock on our Door with a Kia Called Mediocrity

We not sure how Kia's marketing people are going to feel about this one (unless they're part of it...), but photos of an older gener...

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