The Brief

Honda Smile Mission is a nationwide daily radio show where a reporter travels all over Japan on a Honda Fit named Petiteco, introducing and rediscovering each area of Japan. Currently, the listeners are limited to people who listen to the radio while driving to work. Our mission was to find a way to increase communication and interaction with more people, attract interest to capture new listeners.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We turned the show’s equipment car, into a car radio-personality that can communicate by itself! We structured an original radio personality dialog system: installed 3 years of footage, then for six month taught the car modern Japanese language analyzing all open conversations on the web/SNS. The car’s communication skills evolved with a machine-learning technique. On website, everyone could see Petiteco’s current location. Sharing info about local places, the car finds its next destination from recommendations. On twitter, everyone could talk with Petiteco. These conversations created the next show. Petiteco also does a free style rap featuring places, people it met.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

In less than a month, Petiteco was featured on TV, newspapers, internet, huge spread out on SNS ... The car even got invited to be a guest at rock festivals! Now many people surrounded Petiteco wherever she went, talking to it and taking pictures together. Visitors to the show’s website increased 10 times, that’s more than 2 million people. We gained many new listeners!

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Honda Smile Mission needed a way to gather info for the next show, find interesting people to interview and expand their listeners. This car radio-personality solved all of the three problems. Making it possible for the listeners to communicate with the radio personality directly anytime anywhere creating an interactive radio show. Also, the listeners’ voices were integrated in to the show making them want to participate even more through talking to Petiteco. The car’s unique look gathered a lot of attention everywhere it went attracting new listeners. This idea turned a regular radio show to a new form of entertainment.