Challenge
After long anticipation, Honda was launching into a new category with the Talon SXS. In a category dominated by conventions, most SXS powersport brand communications sound and look the same – product-focused, dark, and serious. In this sea of sameness, Honda had the opportunity to carve out a unique and compelling position by connecting to the target audience on an emotional level — creating real desire and demand for the new release.
Solution
In our research, we identified two unique insights that would inspire the campaign. The first was inspired about the riders and their lifestyle. At this point in their lives, riders still wanted the thrill but in a different way: Less risky (with age comes cage) and sharing the moments with friends and family. The second insight was that Honda had a distinct personality of friendly, welcoming and fun (without being a wuss) which was a dramatic shift from how competition was talking and was something the brand could leverage to stand apart. By focusing on the people, the lifestyle, and the brand’s personality; we were able to connect to the core rider mindset in a totally new way.
Results
By developing an integrated and targeted campaign across digital, including the website and an innovative and captivating VR experience, the initial launch of the campaign has seen quick and incredible results. It has created engagement among potential buyers and initial reactions have illustrated the desire and demand which was the core objective in these early results. Without a single media dollar spent, and before the product even arrived in dealerships, the campaign drove over 1.2 million page views and 350 million impressions and four times the previous high in page views. Talon mentions on social also outpaced both Polaris and Yamaha by nearly 3 to 1 and exceeded benchmark models.
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