Honda launches ‘Problem Playground’ campaign

Honda has launched its new brand campaign developed by Wieden and Kennedy London, showcasing the many engineering innovations that the company has developed in order to create products that are less impactful on the environment.

Ian Armstrong, Honda (UK) Communications Manager comments: “For the past few years our campaigns have told different stories about Honda. This campaign takes this to the next level and allows us to showcase some of the many environmentally focused technology innovations we have been developing since the 1950s, as well as some of our future products.”

The creative idea, developed by Sam Heath and Frank Ginger, uses a variety of popular puzzles and reworks them to demonstrate Honda’s passion for solving problems. In the print and outdoor activity, hand-illustrated puzzles ask the viewer to solve simple visual teasers, and in doing so, demonstrate some of the different environmental products that Honda has developed in the last 10 years, with the main focus being the Honda Civic Hybrid.

The three radio spots use the well known tones of Garrison Keillor to present Honda’s philosophy of ‘Why problems can be a joy’.

A bespoke micro-site developed by Collective London supports the campaign. problemplayground.com hosts more puzzles and information on a range of Honda environmental products and initiatives. The site goes live today and asks visitors to help build the home page by completing a large puzzle, with each person receiving a piece to find the correct place for. Once the puzzle has been completed, on February 4th a complete ‘problem playground’ will showcase a variety of Honda products, using puzzles to help explain the technologies behind Honda’s ground-breaking engineering achievements.

The finale of this campaign will be a TV ad launching on February 4th. Kim Papworth, Creative Director of Wieden + Kennedy comments: “This ad celebrates the optimism and ingenuity of Honda and the human way they approach environmental engineering.”

The TV ad will also introduce the new Honda FCX Clarity, the first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell car to go into production. Extra content and behind the scenes footage will be available on problemplayground.com.