Honda’s New Campaign from Sid Lee Paris Is Born from Customer Love

Honda lovers are everywhere, from passionate collectors to daily commuters. So, rather than listing features and pushing the same old marketing buzzwords, Honda Motor Europe handed the mic over to its brand ambassadors. Together with Sid Lee Paris and Hakuhodo West, the brand is transforming its communication, leaving advertising behind in favour of content created through its fan community. Sid Lee Paris and Hakuhodo West created the 'Grow From Their Love' strategy, an emotional approach which puts the spotlight on the people, not the car, to create a relatable campaign. 

For the launch of its first Hybrid SUV, the CR-V Hybrid, Honda Motor Europe introduces this creative territory, with 'The Hybrid You Can Feel' campaign, which uses Honda Lovers to describe to the audience the sensations you get from driving and experiencing this new car model. 

Six months before the launch of the CR-V Hybrid in Europe, Sid Lee Paris and Hakuhodo West invited Honda Lovers from five different countries – Christophe (France), Katharine (UK), Pierre (Germany), Javier (Spain) and Francesca (Italy), to experience the car for themselves… before its release. Sid Lee Paris recorded their thoughts, reactions and emotions about the experience and pulled actual quotes about their driving sensations. From that experience, the team created a film starring real Honda lovers, directed by Manu Cossu (Iconoclast). The ad takes the emotion a step further, likening the narratives to different forms of art to illustrate the sensations described by the ambassadors. 

The campaign also includes additional content to enrich the experience on digital and social media, such as individual portrait films, introducing Christophe, Katharine, Pierre, Javier, and Francesca, to give viewers a more intimate look at the five ambassadors, learn about who they are, their experience with the CR-V Hybrid and with the brand. 

Together, Sid Lee Paris & Hakuhodo West and Honda are pushing a unique, more authentic positioning, and in the process, truly distinguishing the brand from the rest of the automobile category.