Honda campaign brings Japanese art of precision walking to the UK

Precision walking is a big deal in Japan where national competitions are held and now Honda is hoping to bring the phenomenon to the UK with a new ad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-VXL156QDo

Launching on TV on Saturday (3 September) and created by mcgarrybowen the campaign promotes Honda’s HR-V – its return to the subcompact SUV market. The film shows 60 people performing a routine choreographed around the HR-V’s movements and set to the 1990’s track “Incredible” by General Levy.

It took six weeks to rehearse and was filmed at London’s Wembley Arena.

Speaking to Marketing Week, Honda’s marketing boss Jemma Jones said the aim is to go after a “younger conquest customer” with a campaign designed to be “impactful, youthful and dynamic”. The hope is that by using precision walking, which isn’t particularly popular in Europe, Honda will be able to stand out amid the crowded car market.

“We want to land with a bang and announce that we’re here in this growing segment. [This campaign] delivers against Honda’s brand values of imagination, innovation and excitement,” she said.

The activity will also be running in print, cinema and online. It includes the brand strapline “Precisely. Pleasingly. Perfect” and aims to showcase how the HR-V fits perfectly into family’s lives.

The campaign is the latest in a series from the car marque as Honda looks to turn 2015 into the “Year of Honda”. A brand campaign launched last month aimed to talk up its engineering skill by forming all its products into a rocket.

As part of that Honda is sponsoring an interview series on tech blog Engadget that will feature five people hoping to take a one-way trip to Mars.

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