A clever new Honda ad hit the airwaves recently, opening with an animated CRX chugging merrily along. Soon pixels morph it into a host of Hondas from the company’s past. “Look at all the great cars we used to make!” it reminds us, before spitting out the new HR-V crossover. Hard core Honda heads might be wondering where the even earlier models are but as it turns out, there’s a bit more to the story.
First the video. Most of the cars hail from the late 80s to mid-90s. Civic hatch, Prelude, del Sol, Accord Wagon, S2000, and so on. What about the older stuff?
As it turns out, there were plans for that. About three months ago Chris Green, whose mint first-gen Accord was recently seen carving the hills on the Touge California, received a phone call from an agent that finds cars to 3D-scan.
Chris describes it as such: “I took it to their studio where they covered every inch of the driver’s half with tape until it looked like Spider-Man, to create a digital wire-frame of the car.”
Apparently, a first-gen Honda Civic was also scanned in the same way. Neither of them made the cut. “Later, I found out that, sadly, they decided to use a newer car in place of mine,” Chris says. “I’m sad that they didn’t use her, but it’s a cute commercial.”
Is this spot evidence that Honda, who has really lost its way in the last 10 years, has been doing some serious soul searching? With a commercial that reminds their audience of their glory days, the release of the S660 in Japan, a potential USDM Civic Type R, and the new NSX concept, it seems that Honda is beginning to turn a new leaf. And that would be greatly appreciated, at least by their die-hard fans.
My thoughts exactly, use to make. Use to make fun to drive cars/sports cars that people loved and a reputation was built on. So, based on our successful sports car heritage we now build small sport utility vehicles with a sporty past? Honda, do not for get what made you successful and famous, get back to the basics and remember what brought you to the dance and show the public by building small, light, reliable sports cars again.
Agreed that Honda peaked decades ago but their guy in charge of car names at least has a sense of humour: CRV=California Redemption Value; HRV=CRV + HIV!!!
Why I, here, in the middle of European Union don’t get such great comercials in TV? Here the ads are horrible. Even the last Lexus IS comm was awull. Only parts o the car where shown. Rest of the place was taken by a runing horse (!) and a ballet dancer. WTF?
I took it as a not so subtle trool….”hey remember these cool cars you loved….well you get a bloated Fit/Pokemon! Give us your money”
sigh
Saddest thing is, the HR-V will probably outsell the undiluted Fit because so many people will look at an SUV, however small and carlike, as representing a sufficient level of consumption where an “economy car” does not.
Reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear arguing many SUV’s are just “lifted” sedans.
With a first-gen Civic and Accord scanned, maybe those 3D models will turn up elsewhere. Like 3Dtuning.com or a video game.