Archer's Mark Showcases Raw Power in Electrifying Honda Campaign

Archer's Mark have collaborated with Lost Boys and DigitasLBi to create online and social content for the newly won Honda F1 account in anticipation of their return to Formula One in March 2015.

"Honda wanted us to create content that demonstrated the sheer force of their innovative power units - the beating heart of the 2015 McLaren Honda MP4-30" said Simon Gill, Chief Creative Officer, UK at DigitasLBi. "As this season marks Honda’s return to Formula One after over half a decade in absentia, our challenge was not just to present something informative but to position Honda as being at the forefront of F1 Racing, showing that irrespective of their time away from the sport they remain dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.”

"When it comes to showing how exciting a piece of technology really is, graphs and charts have a tendency of turning people off," said Adam Booth, Head of Production at Archer's Mark, "so rather than overload the audience with statistics we chose to dramatise the story of each component in a visually experimental way, which helps render the complex science far more accessible." 

The three spots, featured on Honda's F1 Racing site and McLaren's Facebook page, were all directed by Archer's Mark’s Lorrin Braddick, whose extensive background as a director and editor proved integral to achieving both the in-camera effect shots as well as the intricate visual juxtapositions created in post-production. "We didn’t want to rely on VFX where it wasn’t essential, so we spent a lot of time exploring practical, innovative ways to create visual displays for the different components, including using a 3 ft high tesla coil system that shot out a 1 metre bolt of electricity, a precision-programmed laser machine, and a FLIRT640 thermal camera that displayed every single variation in temperature as a signature visual pattern, thus differentiating each part of the engine’s thermal process in an abstract, visually striking way. Besides the fun of each spot providing a different challenge, these methods helped each spot stand out from one another aesthetically.”

“It has been great to collaborate with Lost Boys and DigitasLBi on their new account and create content that will engage and excite Formula One fans about the potential of Honda’s engines,” said Sarah Cutler, Head of New Business at Archer’s Mark, “and we feel confident these spots bolster the notion that Honda remains in front position and be the start of lots of exciting work from Lost Boys and DigitasLBi.”