A personal social media strand of Honda #StartSomething Special campaign saw the car brand sponsor a wedding.
After loyal Honda couple (who, along with their wider families, have owned more than 20 Honda vehicles between them) Mairead and Kevin asked local Honda dealer to loan them three CR-Vs for their wedding reception, the car maker decided to reward them with something special for their big day.
Not only did they provide eight CR-Vs, but inside the cars the brand brought the band from the couple’s very first date to serenade them, an Irish dancing troupe to perform for them and a group of relatives Honda had flown in from Ireland.
Plus $2,000 from Macy’s gift registry
Of course, as with all personal touch social campaigns, Honda filmed the whole event and the brand backed wedding film now boasts 300,000 YouTube views.
The spot, which was linked to a PR push, comes complete with an introductory set-up segment in which the couple talk about how they first met and explain their family loyalty to Honda.
The auto brand, in tandem with agency RPA, used the wedding sponsorship as part of a wider ‘Start Something Special’ campaign.
To socialise the new tagline, creative asks Honda consumers to share the special relationships they have with their Hondas using the #StartSomething hashtag.
The objective is for the conversation will take place across Honda’s social platforms including Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter and Vine.
These stories will be collected and shared at hondastories.com.
Comment
This feels like a fresh approach and it certainly comes across as authentic rather than cynical.
But should brands really be considering sponsoring real people’s real weddings?
After all, should any company really be commercialising something so sacred and personal?
It was Mairead and Kevin who initially contacted Honda and invited them to the event and, furthermore, the brand did tell the couple that it might become part of a marketing campaign.
They just didn’t let them know quite the extent Honda might become a core part of the wedding.
But social media does enable brands to be more personal and human.
In this case the personal touch leads in to a wider new stream of US marketing from Honda, running under the ‘Start Something Special’ tagline, which will span brand and retail advertising, plus sponsorship and other marketing activity.
‘The idea is that it’s not a car, it’s a relationship,’ says Senior VP America Honda Motor Company Michael Accavitti.
Accavitti claims the brand’s research shows that Honda owners give names to their cars more than owners of any other brand.
Indeed, Honda first introduced the ‘Start Something Special’ tagline throughout the brand’s advertising in August with new TV work featuring photos and videos of Honda fans and families showing their appreciation for the brand.
The spot debuted on the NHL Network and during NFL games.
The new creative also links to its programme sponsorship work for The X Factor USA (see previous case study).
Links
Wedding YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKiW0mNBKIA
Honda Stories Website
#StartSomething
