If it weren’t for Melissa McCarthy, there probably wouldn’t be a single automaker on the list of the most popular commercials on YouTube in 2017.
Kia’s one-minute ad for the new Niro, titled “Hero’s Journey,” was viewed 25.9 million times, as of Dec. 6, securing it the No. 6 spot on Adweek’s list of the 10 most watched commercials of 2017.
The spot, which aired during Super Bowl LI, follows McCarthy as she takes the trip from hell in the subcompact crossover. There was a lot of buzz surrounding the campaign, due in part to Kia’s clever social media strategy to promote the ad throughout the big game, as well as McCarthy’s outlandish brand of…