Hasta La Creative!

RPA is debuting a new online series promoting the Honda Fit with “Brad, the Lyft Driver,” a hidden-camera style video starring Nick Thune as Brad, an (overly) accommodating Lyft driver.

The series, directed by Fred Savage (Modern Family, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), shows Thune (in character as Brad) “maintaining a good vibe” while yelling obnoxiously out the window, rehearsing soap opera scenes with passengers, and creating creepy personalized mix tapes. While the antics can be amusing in small doses, the video stretches well past the three minute mark, overstaying its welcome a bit in the process.

As part of its “Fit For You” campaign, RPA is also teaming up with Vine stars Jordan Burt, KC James, Cody Johns and David Lopez for a series of Vine videos with each utilizing the Honda Fit in a video showcasing their individual style. (more…)

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Since few would argue that the commercials were more interesting than the game last night, chances are you saw RPA’s “Hugfest” spot, featuring Bruce Willis and SNL-alum/Portlandia star Fred Armisen.

The simple, straightforward spot features Willis urging viewers to hug those around them that they care about — “the people that matter to you, matter to us” — as a way of emphasizing Honda’s commitment to safety. Armisen then appears and hugs Willis for the duration of the 60 second spot.

“Our simple, yet engaging, big-game spot is intended to highlight not only Honda’s deep concern for the safety of our customers, but the actual industry-leading crash test results that back up our commitment,” explained Mike Accavitti, senior vice president of auto operations at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The campaign extends beyond the big game spot, with a large social media component utilizing the hashtag #hugfest. During the Super Bowl, Honda posted “real-time video reactions from Willis about events such as penalties, fumbles and referee calls on the brand’s @Honda Twitter feed.” Immediately after the spot aired, Honda encouraged viewers to send virtual hugs (actually Willis hugging the camera) to loved ones who they couldn’t be near during the big game. Today, Honda is collecting hugs via Twitter by asking people “to send a picture or Vine of their hug with the hash tag #hugfest.” Bruce Willis will then respond with a “meme appraisal of the hug.” Additionally, Honda will have a homepage takeovers at MSN and ESPN, where a 30-second spot “How to Hug” video featuring Willis and Armisen will greet visitors to the sites. You can view “How to Hug,” along with credits after the jump. continued…

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RPA launched their “Start Something Special” campaign for Honda (somewhat disappointingly) with the story of Mairead and Kevin’s very Irish wedding and their “Thank You” TV spot. The latest in the campaign is a lot more interesting.

The spot highlights 105-year-old Civic driver Edythe Kirchmaier, who really is something special. Edythe spends her autumn years helping people in need: she has been volunteering for Direct Relief for around 40 years. She learned to drive, at the age of 16, in 1924 on her uncle’s Ford Model T. Even more amazingly, she has maintained a perfect driving record her entire life — without so much as a parking ticket. She’s also the oldest registered user on Facebook, which she uses to dispense wisdom gleaned from over a century of experience. This latest addition to Honda’s “Start Something Special” series shows the potential in this kind of campaign. It’s the kind of story people want to hear and can’t wait to share. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come from RPA, although I get the feeling this will be the highlight of the campaign. Edythe’s story launches today at #StartSomething stories. Credits after the jump. continued…

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