ホンダ | オデッセイ「いいクルマが好きだ。男ですから。」 | 2008
A man who says "any car will do" is boring / Honda "I Like Good Cars. Because I'm a Man."
George Clooney just walks coolly through the streets of Milan. That's all it is, and yet it's absolutely captivating.
The problem
This campaign ran as teaser advertising ahead of the launch of the fourth-generation Odyssey in October (month 10) of 2008. It opens with the line "There's no way a man's worth can be measured by what car he drives," then continues, "But I do feel his sense of taste is called a little into question. What do you think?" and "I like good cars. Because I'm a man." The memorable copy screens featured white text on a black background.
The insight
The copy on the station posters read: "I still love my wife. And of course I love my son too. I shouldn't say it's the same, but... I like good cars. There's no reason. Probably because I'm a man." It bluntly dismisses half the population and goes all in on a single insight about men. Even though it's a minivan, the boldness of throwing family aside entirely to focus on male taste and coolness is striking.
The idea
The ad shows George Clooney parking the Odyssey on a street in Milan, Italy, getting a parking ticket and placing it on the car, then walking off again—all filmed as one continuous take without cuts. The background music is Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive." That's it, and yet it's incredibly cool. The copy carries real weight too: "A man who says 'any car will do' is a boring man. This is a harsh thing to say. But it's also true that some people will nod vigorously at this harsh statement."
What happened
The TV commercial began airing on October (month 10) 17, 2008. There were reactions like friends saying to each other, "That ad is so cool, right?" suggesting it got decent airtime. No details about awards or other recognition could be confirmed.
Afterthought
I bet the pitch for this one was pretty cool too. "George Clooney gets out of the car coolly and walks away coolly. That's it." That must have been the whole pitch. It's a great example of how going this bold and this simple can produce something truly captivating. I'd like to have that kind of boldness too.
