‘Peter Returns’ Kia’s Spin-Off Brand Film Based On The Fairy Tale, Peter Pan

Nowadays interest in Ready Player One, a new Steven Spielberg film, is high. With dramatic advances in future technologies, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and 5G, sci-fi movies, set in different future eras, have flooded movie theaters. Providing an indirect experience of the future through computer graphics (CG) is the latest trend emerging not only in the movie industry but also in advertising for well-known auto brands.

The reason why the automotive industry has focused on the future era is that automobiles are at the center of transformation in the upcoming fourth industrial revolution. Kia Motors, in particular, communicates its philosophy on the future era most actively. The motor company already declared its future brand vision, “Boundless for All,” during CES. In addition, after nearly two years of work, Kia recently unveiled “Kia Future Film | Peter Returns,” a spin-off film based on the world-famous Peter Pan fairy tale, to introduce how the company foresees the future. Kia planned this ad campaign based on its unique spirit of challenge and experiment. Kia’s own brand identity is naturally reflected in this delightful film as Peter addresses issues with new perspectives and approaches.

Peter Returns is a short, three-minute ad film released simultaneously around the world describing the coming future of cars with Kia Motors based on the fairy tale. Peter Returns begins with Peter Pan living in a future era rushing to Neverland to defeat Captain Hook, who has been monopolizing technologies. Hook is blinded by the selfish belief that technologies should be the exclusive property of a few, not for all, while Peter Pan struggles to break Hook’s monopoly. Clearly, the duel between the two is the most notable point. Another fun element of the film is that Kia’s future car recognizes Peter just by his facial features and gait, charging itself while running on the road, and parking on its own to help Peter and Wendy infiltrate Hook Tower. The technologies seen in the film are not imaginary, only found in science fiction, but are actually being developed by Kia Motors. In other words, technologies feasible in the real world are expressed on the screen through cinematic techniques.

Throughout the film, viewers will be able to meet a variety of Kia technologies, including Sound Focusing used to defeat Hook. This three-minute film, featuring promising technologies of near future, will provide viewers a fun-filled experience. The film also boasts an impressive production scale in terms of number of participants, props and CG. About 200 actors, actresses and staff members joined the project, while about 100 different costumes and a variety of props were created. It also took around six months to make sketches of the imaginary Neverland and the future city and turn them into CG.

Director Philippe Andre said at a shooting site in Spain, “I concentrated all my efforts on the duel scene between Peter and Hook. Peter wins not simply because he is as strong as Hook, but unlike Hook, he is smart. He fights against Hook in a clear way with the help of Kia’s concept car.” Philippe Andre has received awards at many international advertising festivals, including those held in Cannes, London and New York. Surprisingly, he studied to become a conductor. Starting with Delicate Gravity, which was presented in Cannes Film Festival 2013, won many American Awards and was in selection for the Oscars, he has written scripts for movies titled “The Briefest Second” and “Starless,” expanding his field. The expectation on Kia’s new ad is all the more high as it was directed by this amazing multi-awarded director whose Peugeot 407 “Toys” spot won 20 international awards in 2008.
 
Technological advances will push development of automotive technologies in the future, such as for autonomous, connected cars and car sharing. But, Kia says that human beings should be at the center of the development and use of all these technologies. Kia’s distinctive ad in the form of spin-off film was designed to expose consumers to a hard-to- understand future vision and automotive technologies in an easy and friendly way. It truly demonstrates Kia’s efforts to shape its people-oriented future vision.

Philippe Andre is represented by Independent Films in the UK.