The Story Behind the Black Alpaca Ad

If you’ve spotted a black alpaca popping up in our new KGM ads and found yourself thinking “why an alpaca?”, you’re in the right place. It’s not random, and it’s not just for fun. Here’s the story behind our slightly unconventional star.

Why the Alpaca, and Why Now?

You might be wondering how we managed to place an alpaca and a flock of sheep in the middle of London. The short answer is: we didn’t.

The campaign was created using AI, which gave us the freedom to bring an unexpected idea to life without being constrained by what’s physically possible. More importantly, it allowed us to visualise the metaphor at the heart of the campaign. The sheep represent the herd mentality of a market where many choices feel increasingly similar. The alpaca, calm and unbothered, represents choosing a different path.

We’re launching our new identity in 2026, Escape Convention, a creative and strategic refresh that positions KGM as the UK’s confidently unconventional alternative to the mainstream. At the heart of this sits our brand line, Unconventional since 1954, a nod to seven decades of Korean vehicle manufacturing.

From our beginnings as the Ha Dong Hwan Motor workshop in 1954 to our rebrand from SsangYong to KGM in 2024, we’ve built a reputation for rugged, value-rich SUVs and pick-ups shaped by a distinctly Korean point of view. We’ve never tried to blend in. We’ve simply done things our own way.

The Campaign Story

The hero film brings this to life through a surreal version of London, where commuters move alongside flocks of identical sheep, symbolising the familiar crowd mentality of the UK car market. You might have spotted it already on Channel 4’s streaming service, on connected TV channels, or heard the audio version on Spotify as part of a wider digital and social media campaign. At the centre of it all, one unexpected character steps forward: a black alpaca.

Calm, confident and unbothered by what everyone else is doing, the alpaca represents what it means to choose differently, not to rebel, but to be comfortable standing apart. It embodies our view of the market and our place within it: a brand that looks distinct, behaves differently and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

As the film unfolds, the alpaca follows its own path through the streets, ultimately aligning with our new hybrid SUVs as they move away from the flock. The spot brings everything together with the message “Escape Convention” and the sign-off “Unconventional since 1954.”

Created in a Bold, Unconventional Way

Reflecting the spirit of the campaign, every frame of footage and artwork was created using AI. It’s a medium that mirrors our appetite for innovation and our commitment to exploring bold, creative methods that set us apart.

A Word from KGM’s Managing Director

To sum up what this campaign means for us as a brand, our Managing Director, Kevin Griffin, shared his perspective:

“There is no point pretending we are one of the big, ubiquitous badges, and we do not want to be. Escaping convention reflects who we are: a small, proudly South Korean brand that has been doing things its own way for over 70 years, continuing to innovate while representing fantastic value. As more new players enter the UK, it is important that we are crystal clear in our messaging. KGM is an established Korean manufacturer with real depth of engineering and design, and a genuine alternative to the usual suspects.”