Melissa McCarthy's SNL cameo was a gift for Kia Super Bowl spot

Ad agencies labor for months on the planning and production of Super Bowl ads.

Kia’s agency, David&Goliath, was no different as it created a spot for the Niro hybrid crossover starring comedic actress Melissa McCarthy. But the agency’s hard work was complemented with a jolt of good fortune thanks to McCarthy’s infamous impersonation of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the eve of the game.

McCarthy’s antics on “Saturday Night Live” turned into a viral bonanza that had the public clamoring on Twitter -- she was trending at times on Sunday -- while TV outlets replayed portions of the sketch throughout the day. The extra buzz around McCarthy was a welcome surprise for the agency, which had no idea that she was appearing on SNL.

“Saturday night was a night I took off. I didn’t watch the news or anything. Didn’t watch ‘SNL,’” David Angelo, founder of David&Goliath, told Automotive News. “Then I get this amazing email in the morning that said you’re not going to believe who was on ‘SNL’ last night. Then I saw the clip and every single person out there was talking about this. I have to believe that helped accentuate the spot.”

The enthusiasm surrounding McCarthy’s “SNL” performance was an obvious boon for her brand, but it also served as a high-profile conclusion of Kia’s lively teaser campaign in the weeks leading up to the game. Kia was already working to generate interest in its spot by releasing teasers showing McCarthy getting chased by a rhino, hanging out with a penguin and floating in the middle of nowhere on an icecap.

The “SNL” hype was an added bonus that capped off the weeks-long McCarthy spree and put her top of mind for many consumers at the most opportune time possible.

The ad turned out to be a success, too. “Hero’s Journey” grabbed the top spot on USA Today’s Ad Meter, a coveted barometer of Super Bowl ad quality.

While Angelo believes the ad would’ve performed just as well without McCarthy’s SNL cameo, he said it didn’t hurt. Angelo said McCarthy’s has a “fiery” and “maverick” spirit that made her a nice fit for the campaign.

“That was like the lucky strike that the universe throws out there for you,” Angelo said, adding: “The fact that she was doing a parody of Sean Spicer and out there trying to save the world; that combination really helped bring her brand and her persona out even more.”

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