BACKSTORY
In 2018, when I was looking to buy my first car, I immediately sought out a vehicle that had first appealed to me as a young kid in middle school, the Honda Element.
This car had been discontinued in 2011, but my passion was still very much in production, so I wrote a long-winded email to Honda telling them why they should bring this vehicle back.
In an effort to persuade an international brand, I went over the top and included a whole marketing campaign idea in my email. They said they’d get back to me, but they never did. So, here is an even more involved attempt at getting their attention.
INTO THE ELEMENTS
Explore the world on your own terms
The Insight: After several years of pandemic restrictions, people have the strong desire to get out in the world and live life to the fullest. However, not everyone has the means fly around the world or live the trendy #VanLife.
The Idea: Honda will encourage people craving a sense of freedom and adventure to get INTO THE ELEMENTS by using the brand new Honda Element as their home base while exploring the world, whether their wanderlust spirit takes them to a remote wilderness or an urban metropolis.
Honda will show the world that the Element is the perfect vehicle for people who enjoy adventure. In doing so, they will provide a wide variety
of people with the ability to explore the world by getting out of the house and INTO THE ELEMENTS.
REI CROSS PROMO
& GIVEAWAY
Honda will partner with outdoor retail juggernaut REI to increase visibility within the outdoor community.
The promotion will require all eligible applicants to be an REI credit card holder to enter for the chance to win a brand new Honda Element filled with an assortment of outdoor gear from REI.
INFLUENCER
In an effort to ride the wave of social media’s loyal fascination with #VanLife, Honda will hire five influencers known for their outdoor content, and provide them with a brand new Honda Element for a set amount of time.
During this period, the influencers will test out the new Honda Element on a weekend camping/outdoor adventure.
The content created will be accompanied by the #IntoTheElements hashtag and display the capabilities of the new Element out in the wild.
OWNED SOCIAL
TELEVISION COMMERCIAL
In a television commercial promoting the long-awaited return of the Honda Element, Honda will encourage people to get off of the couch and #IntoTheElements.
Experiential
In cities like LA and NYC, Honda will create large scale activations where people will step into the Honda Element and on the other side will be a set recreating an outdoor experience.
For example, people will step off the city streets, into the Honda Element, and suddenly find themselves on a trail in the forest. They will walk along the trail and come across markers that list specs and info about the new Element. This will take them straight from the cities into the elements.
OOH
Instead of a traditional billboard, Honda will transform city car tunnels into lush greenscapes where people can be in an urban setting and suddenly they find themselves driving INTO THE ELEMENTS.
The tunnels will be decked out in faux trees, vines, ferns, etc. and drivers will suddenly be transported from concrete jungles to realistic looking jungles.
