Honda Australia launches a new TV spot for the all-new Honda Accord via Leo Burnett, Melbourne
Honda Australia and Leo Burnett Melbourne are this week launching a new campaign for the all new Honda Accord. The campaign, led by TV and cinema, brings to life the insight that people often wait and save for a lifetime, before they can afford to purchase their dream car. At which point, it’s often too late to truly enjoy it.
Using this key human insight, the launch campaign positions the all-new Honda Accord as the
luxurious sedan that gives you all the elegance, comfort, craftsmanship and technology of a more expensive car, without the price tag.
The new spot features a number of characters in their twilight years struggling with low-set seats, counterintuitive technology and the powerfully intimidating performance of the prestige sports cars they’ve waited all their life to purchase.
These scenarios are juxtaposed against the premium new Honda Accord – a cleverly designed vehicle that evokes all-round pleasure courtesy of its easy to use technologically advanced features, spacious and luxurious interior, dynamic exterior design and outstanding performance.
As with the previous Honda spot for CR-V, the campaign uses music in a clever and relevant way to add another layer of poignancy to the story. The original recording of the Doris Day classic ‘Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think’ adds a certain charm and elegance to the campaign.
Says Jason Williams, executive creative director: “It’s a real human truth. Waiting a bit too long for those big-ticket luxury items such as your dream car. We’ve all raised an eyebrow when we’ve seen these older gentlemen in their sports cars. Why not the luxurious Accord?”
Says Kevin Lillie, senior marketing manager, Honda Australia: “This launch is very significant for Honda as a brand. In many ways, Accord is the epitome of what Honda represents to car buyers in this country. Our new launch campaign captures the Accord story in a fresh and relevant way, whilst providing us with an opportunity to entertain and connect with Australians – we are absolutely delighted with the result.”
The television and cinema campaign is being supported by national press insertions, digital
display and Dealership activity.
Senior Marketing Manager: Kevin Lillie
Advertising Manager: Jason Miller
Assistant Advertising Manager: Melissa Altarelli
Agency Credits:
Executive Creative Director: Jason Williams
Creative Group Head: Andrew Woodhead
Senior Copywriter: Andrew Woodhead
Senior Art Director: Justin Nagorcka
Agency Producer: Cinnamon Darvall
Group Account Director: Chris Ivanov
Account Management: Khia Croy, Jacquelyn Whelan
Production Company: SOMA
Director: Sean Meehan
Producer: Sam McGarry
35 Comments
It is charming. I like the concept and the truth behind it. But it’s an interesting strategy. Comparing your product to something infinitely superior is risky. To me the Honda doesn’t stack up. Now I just want a Ferrari.
Shame the product underwhelms. Seems like a brilliant Mazda RX-8 or Monaro strategy from a few years back that never saw the light of day.
Totally agree. Its a great insight and an interesting strategy but its impossible for an Accord to deliver on this.
I reckon you’ve got a much better take of the end tag somewhere. Doesn’t deliver the killer blow for mine.
Clever insight that feels new for a car spot.
I want to retire.
Pretty motivating spot. Would get a few blokes to see their next car purchase differently I reckon.
Great track and suitably denigrates wank-mobiles. Not bad at all.
Took me a lifetime to buy the Ferrari, could’ve fast tracked that!
Nice insight, humourous spot guys.
About time there was some solid car advertising in Australia.
Lotto ad a few years ago. Old dude driving real slow in sports car.
I don’t get it.
The insight is don’t wait to buy your Ferrari or Lamborghini – get an Honda Accord now instead. (head scratching)
Good casting.
Ageist, sexist, and as far as the Honda is concerned, absolute bullshit.
Other than that, it’s a nice spot.
On the other hand, if the Accord is some car buyer’s idea of a dream car, they’re probably stupid enough to fall for this ad as well.
So, dumb and tasteless is the target market. Another brief solved.
does anyone think its confusing?
why wait and buy and European sports car when i could have a Honda now….
is that it?
or have i missed it?
Closest thing to bravery coming out of an Australian car advertiser for some time.
Who’d have thought Kia and Honda would take up the mantle from Toyota.
Nice work for a category otherwise going nowhere fast.
I see more old people in Hondas than I do in prestige Euro cars.
Honda, you’re dreaming.
…it just falls a bit flat because I basically call bullshit. Honda Accords and Lambos are incompletely different worlds. But, like I said, at least it’s got an interesting spin, which punters will probably enjoy and find surprising.
This ad is completely bull. How does a crappy Honda stack up at all against sport and supercars in anything but creature comforts? This ad does nothing but make me dislike Honda even more. Gotta be stupid to fall for this ad.
P.S. Isn’t there a law that protects against ‘putting down’ other companies in an ad?
Good to see the agency jumping in early with all those positive comments above, blasting out the negative bloggers.
Personally I think its the worse ad Honda have made. Who in there right mind are going to compare a Lambo or Porsche with a Honda. Come on now. Hand off pee pee
It’s not car porn and has an idea and a truth, so I like.
It’s an ad.
The ad is nicely put together, makes me smile, and the accord looks good.
You’ve got an eye for the obvious.
But then again it’s the CBB, and 90% of the posts on the site are about ads, so you narrowed it down rather quickly. Congratulations, genius.
What people are saying, however, about this ad is that it’s poorly conceived, isn’t likely to attract any new consumers to the brand, maybe even turn some off, and sell very few of their cars, which is after all the reason that ads are made.
Maybe you should check your own reality before placing the random, idiotic comment that ads nothing to the discussion.
Jesus haven’t any of you seen all the other shite car tvcs in australia?
I pissed myself when i saw the latest nissan ad where a cheesy pilot flies so low as to letch in through the top of the nissan sunroof to see the girl with her bloke, then hold up a note to the girlfriend driving, while he’s still flying mind you, saying ‘lose 10lbs’ or something. She then pulls over to drop her wimp boyfriend off (oh, ha, ha ha) then they fly/drive off together? WTF was that??!!
This Honda Accord ad is class compared to all these other tvc nasties that look like they’re created by the clients and first year students.
So your point, if we understand it, is that this spot is shit, but its better shit than the bulk of the other tvcs locally, which are real shit, so we should at least acknowledge that it’s a higher quality of shit?
The lesser of evils argument is always so compelling and inspiring.
Thanks for the valuable insight, we feel so much better about the creative in this category.
Woo Hoo!
If you’re funny and nicely produced you kinda get away with the advertising conceit that an Accord is equal to a Lamborghini. We all know it’s not, don’t we, but we have a giggle at the old dudes anyway? Well, I did.
I’m disappointed to see that Honda departed with Draft FCB Melbourne for this!
Leo Burnett, you need to lift your game! you’re better than this.
Please, get over yourselves! We all know the spot will entertain the punters and go a long way to selling cars. Put your profound wisdom and insight into making your agency some money instead of clogging the blog. And as for FCB they had many years to get it right. As for Leo Burnett they’re doing OK. Go on, off you go.
Thanks for one more in a long line of lowest common denominator arguments by trotting out another “the spot will entertain the punters” chestnut, as if you have the slightest idea who the “punters” are, any margin of what will entertain them, and an idea of what a brand ad looks like or what will sell an Accord.
Have a look at the history of Honda ads, here and internationally and tell us that this little dropping would even be allowed in the same time zone as the overwhelming majority of that work.
Apologists are generally worth the price you pay for them, and inasmuch as your two cents worth came at a further discount . . . well, we’re sure you know your true value, don’t you.
That’s what we do, write ideas that entertain the punter and sell cars.
like I said. Go on, off you go. Do something you’re proud of.
Pity the (cough) old codgers who can only afford a Honda then. Hope they did their research properly because I wonder how many older gents would have liked (and only afforded) a Honda.
Won’t help me sell more Honda Accords. Dumb ad.
Uninspiring offer from Leo Burnett.
Shame Honda has another agency keen to make quirky ads that may win ad industry plaudits but fails to put more Honda on the roads.
When it comes to doing the best, you can count on Honda to the rest. 🙂
Ed of HondaOfCleveland.com