• by Tanya Gazdik , June 13, 2017

Honda is launching a campaign that shows how the all-new Odyssey minivan’s innovative features satisfy the entire family. 

A TV spot “Keep the Peace,” debuts during NHL and NBA Finals along with in-cinema launching June 16 as the part of the previews for several major family movies including Despicable Me 3, Cars 3 and Captain Underpants. The effort also includes social initiatives targeting families, experiential partnership with Disney, digital, print and out-of-home activations.

Creative shows how the minivan delivers all the connectivity and flexibility to keep everyone in the family happy. Through the vehicle’s development process, Honda engineers identified a major unmet need in the current crop of minivans: the ability for older kids to easily get in and out of the third row, even with little brothers or sisters in rear-facing child seats in the second row, and inspiring the Odyssey’s marketing efforts. The campaign is from RPA, and Orci created a Hispanic spot.

“When kids are happy, parents are happy, so the goal of this new campaign is to communicate that the all-new Honda Odyssey has the connectivity, functionality, flexibility and fun-to-drive handling to keep everyone in the family happy,” said Susie Rossick, assistant vice president of marketing at American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in a release.

The feature-focused Odyssey campaign also emphasizes many of the minivan’s high-tech and innovative capabilities including 4G LTE WiFi capability, advanced rear seat entertainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the availability of HondaSensing, Honda’s intelligent suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, now standard on EX and above trims.

In “Keep the Peace,” two giant monsters are fighting over a bus in the middle of a city. As the battle escalates, the earth beneath the monster’s feet splits open and begins separating the beasts from each other. At this moment, the scene abruptly cuts to two children having an identical struggle over a toy bus in the back of a new Honda Odyssey. Their mother separates them using the Odyssey’s Magic Slide seats, in an action that mimics the splitting earth that separated the monsters. With the children apart from each other, peace is restored to the family’s trip. 

The spot was produced by Psyop and directed by Laurent Ledru and Georgia Tribuiani. Psyop also handled post production including editorial and VFX work (animation/flame) and compositing.

National media will run on network cable, national broadcast and online video. The all-new Odyssey will also be featured in top-rated programming and high-profile sports properties. The Odyssey campaign will include portal home page takeovers, such as on Yahoo, MSN and The Weather Channel. 

Honda is partnering with Disney to launch the “Disney Unlock the Magic Sweepstakes” with the winner receiving a grand prize vacation to Disneyland Resort, plus an all-new 2018 Honda Odyssey. 

The exclusive campaign content will feature the Odyssey minivan alongside Mickey Mouse, his pals and their personalized transforming vehicles from Disney Junior’s hit animated series Mickey and the Roadster Racers. The program will also include an appearance by Honda at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event this July in Anaheim, Calif.