I have no ax to grind in the review below.
I don’t know the creatives at Honda’s ad agency or really anybody involved.
I am just enjoying the current work for Honda Fit featuring just-slacker-enough comedian Nick Thune. What I enjoy most is that the commercials manage to give us just a tiny dose of automobile info and a whole lot of attitude.
The question-and-answer format is perfect for this neat little car – because it is small and you want to be sure it’s more than a toy car. So you have questions – of course you have questions – such as: Will two centaurs fit inside? (Answer: Yes, when you fold the seats up.)
I like what the work doesn’t do: instead of droning on about how many square feet of cargo space it has, it features perky Susie asking, in all earnestness, “Can we go antiquing in it?” and before spokesperson Nick can answer, “Sure,” her boyfriend/husband deadpans, “Yeah, because I love antiquing.” And it’s clear he doesn’t.
Will it fit my in-laws? Affirmative – it will fit your different-culture in-laws.
“It’s a great day!” the father-in-law proclaims, and slacker Nick, with hands behind his head, agrees, “It is a great day.”
Millennials – what are you worried about? Buying a car is as easy as buying that new sweater at the Gap. Just as colorful, too.
Everything in these well-art-directed spots is smart-alecky and cheery, and it’s telling us that buying a new car is not that big of a deal. Relax already. Chill.
It all comes from a cultural insight that screams, “I’m not like my parents so don’t treat me like an old dork!”
What it also says is: “You need a car; you don’t want to be a douche and really have to kick the tires to find the perfect car that fits your ‘whatever’ attitude, so here you go.”
The Fit. The name says it all. It just Fits you.
Sure, if you want to know about horsepower and safety ratings, you can do all that online or something, but these commercials are all about selling a simpatico worldview, not boring details and older-generation stuff.
Can it do everything? No. I like that these commercials say “No,” a lot. Example: “Can it see into the future?” No, but it can see what’s behind you, thanks to that rear camera.
It even disses some skeevy-looking dude holding a rope in his garage, surrounded by art-directed garbage bags (Next!). Because fitting in is also about who is not allowed in the club. Either you’re hip, or you’re not.
It’s almost like a Saturday Night Live sketch, but with a G rating.
The campaign manages to answer everyone who has a serious question: weekend-warrior cyclists, wrestlers, even rock climbers who want to go off-roading.
In response to the latter, Thune drives over a mini hill while a meerkat watches in awe.
It’s that kind of weird.
This isn’t your father’s car commercial.
And I think it’s pretty cool.
Check out the spots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxFY4zNlHvg&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVp1r1LlbSw&feature=youtu.be