If you are a fan of basketball, then you have probably heard the name Blake Griffin, but even if you aren’t an avid basketball follower you probably have seen him in the popular Kia ads. As the official spokesperson for Kia Motors, Griffin is “not your average spokesperson.” The All-Star Forward plays for the Los Angeles Clippers and will appear in Kia advertising campaigns, represent the brand in public appearances, promotions and other marketing efforts.

Griffin’s choice as spokesperson came off the heels of the company’s viral video success created at last year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Griffin jumped over a Kia Optima and went on to win the contest. The video of the dunk was posted onto YouTube and quickly gained millions of views, for the dunk and of course, the car. The dunk went on to spurn its own national commercial.

“With Kia’s U.S. market share at an all-time high and rising fast, we are more focused than ever before on continuing to raise the brand’s profile with highly visible strategic partnerships, and expanding our presence in professional basketball by adding Blake Griffin as a global spokesperson will allow us to continue our momentum,” Michael Sprague, Kia’s VP-marketing, said in a statement.

As reported by Ad Age, Kia is one of the fastest-growing brands in the industry. U.S. sales through May have increased 45% from the five-month period last year to 200,060, representing a 3.8% share of the U.S. market compared with 3.0% in first five months of 2010. In May, sales jumped 53% from May 2010 to 48,212. And the company just reported its highest February sales ever.

So, it is with great pleasure to announce that Michael Hayes, President, Digital Communications, Worldwide; Initiative will be presenting a case study on the Kia Optima Slam Dunk at the first VIDEONOMICS™ TOUR event, held at Los Angeles’s beautiful Annenberg Beach House.

Click here to request an invitation to this event, or any others on the tour.

Mr. Hayes will discuss how Kia leveraged it’s paid, owned, and earned assets to create one of most creatively crafted online video and sports partnerships in recent memory. You’ll hear how the concept was developed, how and why the video went viral, and how that helped positively impact its auto sales.

Michael Hayes serves as President, Digital Communications, Worldwide with responsibility for strategy and operational oversight of the agency’s digital practice. Michael also oversees the management and development of key worldwide accounts while continuing to steward the firm’s U.S. operation.