Honda Moto France Empathises with Isolating Car Enthusiasts in Social Media Campaign

In these difficult times, usually marking the beginning of a new season in dealerships and on the roads, bikers are forced to stay at home and limit themselves to essential rides. So, Honda Moto France decided to speak to its community. "RIDERS. WE KNOW HOW YOU FEEL THESE DAYS."

With a series of positive messages, Honda Moto France shows that they understand how bikers are feeling during lockdown, inviting them to stay home and stay safe and dream of better days on the road. The social media campaign, developed by DDB Paris, was released in France from 20th April and will run to 2nd May, through around ten posts, stories and downloadable wallpapers and screen-savers on Facebook and Instagram. 

When asked what inspired the concept, copywriter Jean-François Bouchet said: "We could answer that the Coronavirus did, or French President Emmanuel Macron, who enforced safety measures at a national level. Since then, we have all been locked-in. Homework, home leisures, home life. In France, if you need to do grocery shopping, you have to fill in a form, otherwise you may get a fine. It is a hard time for the sick ones and their families, of course, but also for everyone, because living a full lockdown is not that easy on the long term. Right now, everyone can see the limits of a webcam; well, virtual technologies and social networks help a lot, no one would deny that, but it has become quite obvious that they cannot compare to real life. And if you are addicted to the road, like riders, it is even tougher." Bouchet continued: "This is how the idea was born. It was not about talking for the sake of it, we just wanted riders to know that Honda knew perfectly how they could feel these days. It was a way for the brand to keep in touch with them."

Bouchet further commented: "We did not want to put anyone's life at risk for an advertising campaign, it would not have been decent. So everything was made at home within a few days, thanks to Getty Images and Adobe Photoshop. Assistant director Emmanuel Courteau worked a lot on the images, after a huge step of selection. The only Honda bike you can see - at night, with the longest text - is an exception: it was his neighbour's one. Manu shot it in the right angle, at the right time, without approaching the man closer than 2 metres."