LeBron James is trying to convince all the doubters he really does drive a Kia (KRX)

Kia Motors has launched a very self-aware ad campaign that depicts its brand ambassador LeBron James insisting that he really does drive a Kia.

The ad, which we first saw on The Wall Street Journal, notes that people on Twitter have aired their disbelief that the Cleveland Cavaliers star does anything more than star in Kia's ads.

James signed a four-year marketing and sponsorship deal with the automaker in 2014, which one sponsorship agency director told Business Insider is worth $6 million a year.

The Wall Street Journal cites data from the social-media analysis firm Networked Insights, which found that of the 30,000 tweets that mentioned both "LeBron James" and "Kia," 30% were doubtful he regularly drives one of Kia's cars.

The first of a series of ads shows James reading out a real tweet from an Indiana Pacers fan that says: "I'll bet anyone $10000000 that LeBron doesn't roll up to the games in a Kia."

James then asserts that the bet was "legally binding" because he placed it on the internet, gives a cheeky wink to his lawyers, then hops into his K900.

Michael Sprague, chief operating officer at Kia Motors America, told The Wall Street Journal: "LeBron is all about being authentic. We are confident we can take the playful approach and prove this is an authentic partnership."

Here's the spot:

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