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THE SITUATION:

The world of automotive retail and dealer association advertising is one of “sameness”, focused on delivering price and features, and often lacking an idea or personality. It’s a cluttered world of “similar messages.”

The Ontario Honda Dealers have to deliver the same price and features messaging – in the same environment – and some how “stand out” and be recognizable (as a Ontario Honda Dealer Association message).

As a consequence, the challenge put to d&s by the Ontario Honda Dealer Associations’ Council in our very first meeting … how can we make the OHDA message different, stand out and recognizable?

THE PLAN:

Create a voice and personality that is both flexible enough to react to the changing world of retail and unique enough to allow for consistency and recognition over time - and - still be able to deliver offers, product features and news. It still has to sell cars.

THE IDEA:

We created the HONDA DAILY NEWS. Rather than fight the cluttered environment we’re operating in – we embrace it. We recognize that this is a busy, cluttered, always- changing retail world. Rather than trying to force “clean retail messages” into this world - we embrace its busy, content laden realities and strengths.

We created newspaper ads that rely on change, clutter and content to be effective – we created our own “Honda Daily News.” After all - what is faster moving, busier and more informative than the news? The “Honda Daily News” also allows us to bring a personality to our retail message.

We use bold newspaper style type, bold Honda/news colours, our own Daily News Masthead, and we rely on sensational news language like “Extra, Extra”, “Amazing” and “Wow”. Our radio features pneumonic newscast introductory sound effects and an “old style” news voice talent. Our online and website work bring the same Honda Daily News masthead, type, colour, and language from the newspaper to the web.