Kia put its own spin on the AMA, a Reddit staple, as part of a larger activation around WNBA All-Star Weekend — the latest big brand exploring how to connect with the platform's highly engaged, community-oriented users.
The activation with WNBA player and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike ran during WNBA All-Star Weekend, July 24–26, and generated 61,000 views and 354 upvotes in the first 72 hours on the platform.
"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.
This is the instructive part.
In a standard AMA, a celebrity or high-profile individual answers questions from the Reddit community. Queries are typically asked and answered live, with the host responding in written form.
Kia's AMA took a different approach. Questions were prescreened and selected, giving the brand more control over the experience.
The brand borrowed Reddit's format while removing its least predictable element — shifting the balance from community authenticity toward brand safety.
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.
The unpredictability lost to pre-screening was replaced by a different kind of tension — whether the shot goes in.
Reddit has proven a tricky platform for marketers. Because of its community-oriented, crowdsourced nature, many brands avoid it outright due to safety concerns.
But with 126.8 million daily active users, some marketers are looking for ways to reach Reddit's largely untapped audience — especially as the platform continues to appear in AI overviews.
Since going public in 2024, ad revenue has driven Reddit's profitability.
Reddit has been positioning itself as brand-friendly to draw more advertising dollars. Monetising and streamlining the hosting of AMAs, popular since the 2010s, is one way it has enticed marketers.
Kia expanded its WNBA investment under its 2025 renewed partnership agreement with the league and the NBA. As part of the deal, Kia engaged fans at the WNBA Live fan festival held alongside All-Star Weekend, and gained increased access to talent for content series such as "Inside a Kia."
Kia is not alone in experimenting on Reddit. In February, Dove rolled out a transparency-forward campaign featuring real Reddit reviews — including negative ones — of its Intensive Repair 10-in-1 Serum Mask.
Borrow the platform format, then find the adaptation. Running a standard AMA means no control; not running one means no entry. Kia found the middle through pre-screening — though how the community reads that choice is a separate question.
Preserve unpredictability in another form. Controlling the questions removes the tension. The charity-linked shot filled that gap.
Read Reddit visibility through an AI search lens too. Reddit's continued appearance in AI overviews means Reddit content is a source for AI answers, which changes what a brand mention there is worth.
Learn the community norms first. The principle is covered in Building a Brand Presence on Reddit: Subreddits Are Not Ad Inventory, and for turning Reddit conversation into creative see The Deodorant Ad That Renamed Subway Stations.
For the broader flow of brand money into sports assets, see Amazon's Ad Revenue Hits $19.8B.
It generated 61,000 views and 354 upvotes in the first 72 hours — the first time an automotive brand launched a video AMA during WNBA All-Star Weekend.
Standard AMAs run live with the host answering in written form. Kia used prescreened, selected questions, giving the brand more control over the experience.
Ogwumike shot a ball into a miniature net after each question, with every successful shot raising money for clothing charity One Warm Coat. $20,000 was donated in total.
Of $663 million in Q1 revenue, $625 million came from advertising, with ad revenue growing 74% year over year — five percentage points faster than overall revenue. The platform has 126.8 million daily active users.
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