Honda has cleverly inspired their consumers by making their stories the centre of Live Every Litre, but have elevated the content to another level by involving professional film-making talent.Honda has framed the CR-Z hybrid vehicle with themes representing the joy of driving and "values you can share". To sell the sporty CR-Z, Honda is aiming to help drivers "Live Every Litre".
This approach differs from the usual fuel economy messages. Instead of being preached at to drive more responsibly and baffle drivers with renewable technology innovations, Honda's message asks drivers to trust them with looking after the science of fuel efficiency, so owners can get on with the important business of enjoying the CR-Z driving experience. In February 2010, a CR-Z vehicle was fitted with cameras, and drivers were recruited through various social networking platforms. Successful applicants were selected to drive the car around a part of Europe, followed by a film crew headed by director Claudio von Planta. Individuals had to audition for a chance to drive the car by stating where they would go and what they would do with the vehicle - such as take a loved one to Paris to propose, trace an ancestor, or take their band to play a special gig.
The "Live Every Litre" website allowed users to download widgets that would enable them to promote their application to friends, family, colleagues and wider communities. Applicants were selected by the project director, based on the most highly rated auditions and the most popular applicants in the Live Every Litre community.Once applicants had been selected, the route, which covered a sizeable part of Europe, was planned and the cameras began to roll.
The resulting movie received a pan-European premier in a simultaneous mixture of real events and online broadcast. The final film focussed on the stories of five of the final cast and followed burlesque artist "Agent Lynch" as she brings Paris to a stand-still with the world's first guerrilla burlesque routine in the streets of the capital; fun-loving trio "The Schoolboys" who attempted the first recorded crossing of Lake Garda by bouncy castle and interrupt an international sailing regatta at the same time; "Bowman" a war veteran who has an emotional return to the site where he landed during D-Day in 1944 and heavy metal enthusiast Thomas, who drove from Madrid to Lisbon to realise his dream of meeting his all-time favourite group, Metallica. These stories are punctuated throughout with the tale of Sebastian, as he attempted "100 things to do before you die" in tribute to his friend who died in a tragic accident. Sebastian had already married a stranger in Vegas and broken a Guinness World Record and his appearance in the film is no less exciting as he gets his first tattoo in Amsterdam, gate crashes a red carpet premiere and sky-dives naked!
BRAND: Honda
BRAND OWNER: Honda
CATEGORY:Automotive
REGION: Europe
DATE: February 2010 - ongoing
AGENCY: Grey
MEDIA CHANNEL: Branded Content,Cinema
