#hamsters

Whoever said, “there’s no such thing as bad publicity” probably didn’t pay too much attention to the automotive industry.

Love ’em or hate ’em, the Kia hamsters are back to share some soul and are hinting at a new model for the funky compact.

Who ever though that dancing hamsters would be the best way to sell cars?

Kia is continuing its award winning and incredibly original Hamster ad campaign with a third installment that sees the cute (or possibly creepy) critters rolling through an apocalyptic scene in an “Alien Green” Soul, all to the tune of LMFAO’s smash hit, “Party Rock Anthem.” With the Soul, the Hamsters bring peace and happiness by turning a battle between robots and humans into a dance party.

The spot was created by KMA’s advertising agency of record, David&Goliath, which has locked down Nielsen’s “Automotive Ad of the Year” award for two years running with previous Hamster spots for Kia. The ad will premiere on the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on August 28th.

Kia is looking for similar success to the last spots in order to drum up interest in the refreshed 2012 Soul. Updates for the 2012 model year include some mild design changes, new paint colors and the addition of the UVO Sync-style system. A new 1.6-liter direct-injection engine makes 135-hp (up 11%) and 121 lb-ft of torque and thanks to new six-speed manual transmission fuel economy is up to 28/34 mpg. A larger 2.0-liter engine makes 160-hp (up 13%) and 143 lb-ft of torque with a  fuel economy rating of 27/33-mpg. The 2012 Kia Soul starts from just $13,900 ( full pricing details here).

We’ll be sure to update this story with the actual ad once it debuts. Until then, get a look at the all-new 2012 Soul from the car’s debut at the New York Auto Show after the jump: