Kia Casts Robert DeNiro to Drive e-Niro Advertising

Depending on how you look at it, being “on the nose” can either be a very good or a very bad thing. That basically sums up the feeling we got upon hearing the recent announcement that Robert DeNiro has signed on to promote the Kia Niro. The brand will employ the legendary actor in a European ad campaign to plug the e-Niro, the all-electric version of Kia’s crossover vehicle.

In case you’re struggling to see the connection, the Kia Niro and Robert DeNiro both have “Niro” in their names—an overlap that could spark some creative and humorous content or produce some really obvious and cheesy ads. While our hope is for some A-level DeNiro material, we can’t quite shake the feeling that this campaign might turn out to be more of a Dirty Grandpa than a Raging Bull.