If you’re looking for an example of how great design can revolutionize a brand, look no further than Kia. In 2006, the company declared that design would drive its future growth, and hired storied automotive designer Peter Schreyer to lead the charge. The results have been nothing short of breath-taking.

Schreyer took Kia’s neutral image and turned it on its nose. Literally. All new models now sport a Tiger Nose, making it immediately identifiable as a Kia. And it’s on Kia’s latest model that the Tiger Nose makes its boldest statement yet — the 2011 Kia Optima.

We were fortunate to be called upon to help Kia Motors Canada tell the story of the Canadian media launch for this car in social media. And what better place to launch a hot, beautifully-designed ride than in a hot city known for beautiful design, Miami’s South Beach.

Cloud AdAgents sent a team of social media content creators — consisting of a writer, photographer and editor — to share the media launch with a wider audience of Kia fans on Facebook and Twitter. The team plotted a storyline for the three day event: During the first day in South Beach, a city known for its unique style, the story of Kia’s commitment to design took centre stage. Day two was spent on the steaming hot Homestead-Miami Speedway, and we focused on performance as journalists got to scream around the track in Turbo versions of the Optima and Sportage. The third and final day was all about interior design and creature comforts, as we ferried a fleet of Optimas from Key West to Miami in a 5 hour drive over the legendary Overseas Highway.

Over the course of the event, we generated over 50 posts to Kia’s social media properties. These posts were first and foremost written to engage Kia’s rapidly growing number of fans, and to get them talking about the new Kia.

That’s why our efforts like these have more to do with the principles of storytelling than advertising.