A fully integrated national advertising campaign for the launch of the all-new Honda Civic began April 20. The strategy developed by Honda's long-standing agency of record, RPA, demonstrates the idea that we're all different and there's a unique Civic for each of us. Since the target personalizes everything in their lives from social media to fashion, the all-new Civic is positioned to be the latest canvas for personalization.
Featuring the widest array of choices (Coupe, Sedan, Hybrid, performance Si, fuel-efficient HF or Natural Gas) available in its class, the 2012 Civic is the most personalizable compact on the market. The intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) lets each Civic driver control what's important to them like their audio preferences (including iPod library), available navigation-system turn-by-turn direction system, fuel-economy readings. Drivers can also manage vehicle functions that can be personalized (e.g., door locks, headlights) and displays such as personalized wallpaper.
"The Civic gets credit for being established, trusted, well-known and reliable," said Tom Peyton, senior manager, national advertising, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The challenge with this campaign is to get Gen Y to give Civic credit for being inventive and cool. To turn some of these perceptions into thinking of Civic as well-designed, trendy and technologically advanced."
To bring attention to the variety of different Civic models and the idea of "To Each Their Own," the campaign features five distinct characters. Each represents a different model and shows that there's a Civic right for each person, no matter who-or what-you are:
The Urban Woodsman, Jack, lives in the city but is at home in the woods. He likes his Hybrid for its great fuel efficiency, which comes in handy on his many trips to the great outdoors.
The Zombie, Mitch, is a salesman who's into high-tech gadgets. His Civic Sedan is loaded with options like Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and navigation system with FM Traffic.
The Monster, Teeny, is a bubbly and studious college coed. Her practical nature and frugal budget align with the fuel-efficient HF model.
The Ninja, Aiko, is cute, innocent and deadly. A martial-arts phenom who's partial to red licorice and arcade games, she pairs well with the high-energy performance of the Si model.
Cesar, the Champion Luchador, is somewhat of a celebrity. He's handsome, charming and a bit vain so he, of course, appreciates the Civic Coupe's sleek lines.
"We want to talk directly with our target by tapping into their appreciation for 'collective individualism'-addressing the diversity of Civic drivers while also engaging them around their common interests," said Joe Baratelli, EVP, ECD at RPA. "The five different characters keep it entertaining and set the campaign apart. But, just as importantly, reveal that there's a Civic out there for everyone."