Honda New Zealand’s hybrid love story takes off in new work via Thompson Spencer

Following its official appointment late last year, full-service agency Thompson Spencer wasted no time in seeing the rubber meet the road for Honda New Zealand. With a campaign encompassing loved-up robots, relatable lifestyle content, and authentic real-life influencer experiences, Honda’s hybrid range has come to life in all-new ways.

Thompson Spencer’s in-house production team started strong by telling the heartwarming tale of animated robots Kenji and Ellie, with their union showcasing Honda’s perfect marriage of petrol and electric in an unexpected way. Layering up on the robot love story, the next stage of the campaign saw a very human “Lovable Honda Moments” series.

Running in support, an influencer series demonstrated the efficiency and reliability of Honda vehicles in real-life conditions as they were taken on breathtaking road trips around Aotearoa New Zealand. Social media superstars, Mike and Joelle, amassed over 1m views with one TikTok video alone, and attracted a swathe of comments from their audience keen to share their own ‘Honda Moments’, showing Honda’s appeal to a new batch of hybrid-curious drivers.

With an expertly ideated and executed media plan from Thompson Spencer that left no stone unturned, Kiwis have been connecting with the campaign across television, social media, cinema, and out of home. The campaign included a larger than life, custom-painted mural on Auckland’s Khyber Pass, immortalising Kenji and Ellie’s proposal moment. The positive brand sentiment amassed so far – further nurtured in digital spaces by Thompson Spencer’s Community Management team.

“Seeing this campaign come to life, with every touchpoint making maximum impact, has been remarkable” says Melanie Spencer, Thompson Spencer’s Co-CEO and Co-Founder. “Honda’s hybrid technology is a game-changer, and we’re just getting started in how we showcase that in fresh, emotive, and distinctly Kiwi ways.”

Honda New Zealand’s General Manager for Sales, Matthew Fong adds, “We have thoroughly enjoyed this journey with Thompson Spencer. We appreciate their process-driven approach and enthusiasm they brought”.

With an evolving product range, new insights, and an ever-growing library of ideas on board, Honda New Zealand and Thompson Spencer will keep driving the brand forward.

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