Ash Barty, Luc Longley, and Rafael Nadal Head the All-Star Tradie Line-Up

Storyline: Ash Barty relocates to the fictitious “Tasman Town” and needs help renovating her fixer-upper. She enlists a crew of top-tier sporting legends — now operating as tradies — all driving Kia Tasman utes.

Tradie team includes:

Luc Longley (“In The Paint”)

Peter “Macedonian Marvel” Daicos (“Macedonian Marble”)

Erin Phillips, Geoff Toovey (“The Drain Detective”), Dane Swan (party supplies), Ruben Wiki, Jason Gillespie, Mike Whitney, Pat Rafter (“Best On Grass”), Paul Harragon (“Chief of Police”), and Phil “Buzz” Rothfield (“Buzz’s Scoops”)

Rafael Nadal Joins the Crew
For the first time, international tennis superstar Rafael Nadal appears as “Rafa’s Roofs,” bringing his comedic flair — notably delivering the Aussie catchphrase, “Is it a cashie?” — in a cameo during State of Origin broadcast

Nadal’s appearance plays up his long-standing Kia sponsorship and his connection to the Australian market

Marketing Strategy & Timing
Campaign Build:

March 2024 – Kia announces the Tasman ute.

April 2025 – Phase 2 launched with pre-sales.

June 2025 – Official launch during State of Origin, marking Phase 3 with the tradie episode

Goals:

Cement the Tasman as a “tool of trade” through authentic, humorous storytelling aimed at tradies.

Strengthen brand credibility in Australia’s ute market (dominated by Toyota & Ford) using local sports legends in colloquial banter

Kia aims to sell 20,000 Tasman utes in its first year, leveraging strong brand consideration lift from earlier campaign phases
Reception & Buzz
The ad went viral, especially for Nadal’s tongue-in-cheek line “Is it a cashie?” which resonated with Australian audiences

It also attracted some controversy: the use of “Macedonian Marble” alongside Greek iconography sparked backlash from the Greek-Australian community for cultural insensitivity

Summary
This third installment in Kia’s “Tasman Town” series is a cleverly crafted, sport‑packed, tradie‑humor commercial that positions the new Tasman ute as a credible workhorse. Featuring homegrown heroes and global icon Rafael Nadal, it balances broad appeal with authentic Aussie vernacular — though not without stirring a bit of cultural criticism.