AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR | PROJECT DRIVE IN | 2014
No Car, No Drive-In / Honda "PROJECT DRIVE IN"
You need a car to go to a drive-in theater. That point is so obvious nobody ever says it out loud, but Honda took it seriously.
The problem
With theaters switching from 35mm film to digital projection, drive-in theaters were facing a real threat to their survival. Upgrading just one screen cost more than $75,000, an amount small, seasonal theaters couldn't afford. Drive-ins that once numbered 4,000 had dwindled down to 370.
The insight
Without cars, drive-ins wouldn't exist. And if drive-ins disappeared, so would the experience of driving somewhere to watch a movie. What Honda needed to talk about wasn't how well its cars performed, but the whole way of life that having a car makes possible.
The idea
Honda prepared five digital projectors and let people vote on which theaters would receive them. People could vote at ProjectDriveIn.com, share on social media, and also donate through Indiegogo. More than 126 theater owners rallied support on their own, writing essays and making videos.
What happened
Over 45 days, the campaign drew more than 2.6 million votes and over 3.6 million site visits. It generated 867 million earned impressions and more than 379,600 shares, even drawing in celebrities and other brands. In the end, 27 drive-in theaters were saved, and the campaign won two Golds in the Branded Entertainment category at Cannes Lions.
Afterthought
Instead of talking in order to sell, Honda acted in order to protect. Donating five projectors ended up saving 27 theaters. Some things are worth protecting quietly, without making a big deal of it.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2014
