Honda taking to the air for a live ad stunt
It's hard to get people's attention nowadays, so we should expect—nay, demand—bigger and better advertising stunts, preferably with a whiff of possible carnage. If David Blaine can get millions of eyeballs by holding his breath, why can’t a forlorn brand? Honda seems to agree, and will air a live three-minute spot tonight showing of a bunch of skydivers linking up to spell out “Honda.” (The photo above is from a practice jump.) The experiment, from 4Creative, is part of Honda’s “Difficult is worth doing” push. (BTW, Brits call taglines “straplines”? Never knew.) Scamp likes it so much, he’s ready to award it a Black Pencil immediately. Let’s see if it works out first. I’m still scarred from childhood by Geraldo’s failure to find much in Al Capone’s vault. UPDATE: Honda pulled off its stunt (the ad is now posted above), although the Guardian said the “N” was a little weak. —Posted by Brian Morrissey |
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Tell me this: What does Honda have to do with skydiving? Aside from the waste-of-space tagline, that is. Honda has the authority to tell me about driving, good resale value, and things of that nature. Not to take risks or anything having to do with jumping out of airplanes. I resent this message.
This campaign is so inane it makes me crazy. Crazy enough to buy an American car? Maybe.
Posted by: Jeremy Greenfield | May 29, 2008 3:54:34 PM
Can't wait for the “Difficult is Worth Doing” UGC ads on YouTube. Kids shattering femurs trying to go Evel Knievel over the family Accord. I'd prefer my car brand really stay away from the danger/risk-taking area.
Posted by: Ted Zahn | May 29, 2008 5:57:56 PM
I love the Honda Ads.
Britec - http://www.britec.org.uk
Posted by: brian | May 29, 2008 7:51:17 PM
Ez rohadt jo
Posted by: szitakalman | May 30, 2008 2:45:23 PM
Jeremy - I think what this campaign is trying to say is that Honda is dedicated to superior engineering, quality, and having higher standards. That no feat is to small. That they are constantly challenging themselves to push their product to the next level. Honda isn't telling you what to do in this ad. They certainly aren't telling you to take risks and jump out of planes. They are talking about themselves, their achievements, their goals, and their values... as a company.
Every other car brand screams and yells about "driving, good resale value, and things of that nature" Thats no way to stand apart, and in my opinion "things of that nature" make for really boring and expected car ads.
The literal thinking you outlined above is exactly what leads to the advertising sea of sameness.
I say kudo's for Honda UK for pushing themselves not only with their product, but also with their advertising. I only wish their US counterpart would follow suit.
Posted by: | May 30, 2008 2:58:20 PM
