Kia put its own spin on the AMA, a Reddit staple, as part of a larger activation around All-Star Weekend in July, making it the latest big brand to explore how to connect with the platform’s highly engaged users and community-oriented focus. The activation with WNBA player and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike during the July 24-26 WNBA All-Star Weekend generated 61,000 views and 354 upvotes in the first 72 hours on the platform, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
“Ask Me Anything: Claw Edition" marks the first time an automotive brand launched a video AMA during the WNBA’s All-Star Weekend. During the stream, Ogwumike answered redditor-submitted questions using a Kia-branded claw machine.
Reddit has been working to position itself as brand-friendly in an attempt to draw more advertising dollars to the platform. Monetizing and streamlining the hosting of AMAs, which have been popular since the 2010s, is one way it has enticed marketers to interact with its users.
During an AMA, often a celebrity or other high-profile individual, answers questions asked by the Reddit community. The queries are typically asked and answered live, with the host responding to them in written form. Kia’s AMA took a different approach, with the prescreened and selected questions giving the brand more control over the experience. To give the video stakes, Ogwumike shot a ball into a miniature net after each question, with every successful shot raising money for clothing charity One Warm Coat. In total, $20,000 was donated.
Reddit has proven a tricky platform for marketers. Due to the community-oriented and crowdsourced nature of the platform, many brands avoid it outright due to safety concerns. However, with daily active users numbering 126.8 million, some marketers are looking to find ways to reach Reddit’s largely untapped audience, especially as the platform continues to appear in artificial intelligence overviews.
Since going public in 2024, ad revenue has played a driving force in Reddit’s profitability. Of the platform’s Q1 revenue totaling $663 million, $625 million came from advertising, according to an earnings release. During the quarter, year-over-year ad revenue grew 74%, outpacing overall revenue growth by five percentage points.
Kia expanded its WNBA investment under the terms of its 2025 renewed partnership agreement with the league and the NBA. As part of the deal, Kia engaged with fans at the WNBA Live fan festival held alongside WNBA All-Star Weekend. The brand also gained increased access to talent for content series such as “Inside a Kia.”
Kia isn’t the only company to experiment with Reddit marketing. In February, Dove rolled out a transparency-forward campaign where it featured real Reddit reviews, even negative ones, of its Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask in creative.
