Background

The biggest growth opportunity for the small SUV category is females under 40. But they were hating the “one size fits all” campaign approach adopted by most car brands. Customers showed a craving for something that reflected them more authentically and differed from the generic 20-somethings in the prime of their lives, driving through city streets listening to music or sipping lattes. People aren’t one thing, so why do car brands treat them that way? To make an impact we needed to engage with this audience in a more human and relevant way. Our task was to find a new way for Honda to connect with women, and, in turn make Honda feel younger.

Describe the creative idea

Introducing “We’re not the same”. One actor takes on eight different roles based on eight very different real-life stories. We showed how versatile the HR-V is with one versatile actor, in a tongue-in-cheek play on those ‘interchangeable 20-something females’ depicted in the small SUV category. “We’re Not the Same” defined our entire strategic approach, from creative through to media. The eight stories become the basis for a content journey that matched our consumer's lives with relevant HR-V features. We showed how versatile the HR-V is by showing how unique the people are who drive it.

Describe the strategy

People are not the same, vehicle owners are not the same. So why does the auto industry speak the same? We used this insight to set an ambition for Honda: break the mould of convention auto advertising. We wanted to tap into real-life, relatable stories about how people use their cars. We turned to social and our owner database and put a call out for people to share their stories about the quirky, insightful ways that they use their cars. And we got hundreds of responses. Through deep research and data STORIES USER FLOW collection, we saw the opportunity to strategically create something “not the same” for the new HR-V in terms of how we used this idea to shape a more potent, targeted, personalised, and ultimately, more efficient and effective media program.

Describe the execution

We formulated a new communication blueprint for Honda with data and the individual at the core of the idea. By leveraging multiple data points, we developed highly engaging and topical content that eschews demographics in favour of human-centric interests and customer journeys. The plan reached well beyond Honda’s owned eco-system to start driving a broader personalisation strategy, drawing the user in based on building a 1:1 relationship. Smart utilisation of TV, video content, Social, CRM, digital eco-system platforms and partnerships drove the flexibility of messages across 100+ permutations of the campaign, ensuring we deliver on “We’re Not the Same” effectively and efficiently. A continuous Test & Optimisation strategy will allow us to constantly iterate and shape our program to deliver success for Honda. This was a highly strategic combination of creative and media, working together to bring our insight to life in the most engaging and targeted way possible.

List the results

The campaign catapulted Honda HR-V to the number 1 small SUV in Australia, up from number 5. We also saw a 9% increase in female buyers of the HR-V. Sales were so successful after the launch supply of the new HR-V couldn’t keep up with customer demand. #1 Small SUV in Australia after launch. +9% Increase in female buyers 5.6 million video views. +35% sales in the launch month. +15% conversions versus the previous year Consideration +3pts to 16% The results are proof that delivering an insightful, human platform idea, efficiently executed with data at its core, can reshape Honda marketing and the relationship it builds with its customers.