Isnt it nice when things just work?

APG Entry

Russell Davies
Wieden + Kennedy

SYNOPSIS
I s n t i t n i c e w h e n t h i n g s j u s t w o r k ?
T h i s p a p e r d i s c u s s e s t h e c r e a t i o n o f t w o y e a r s w o r t h o f a d v e r t i s i n g f o r H o n d a . T h e
thinking, the strategic exploration, the collaboration between strategic and creative
thinkers.

It describes the creation of a new thinking tool which allowed for the simultaneous
exploration of strategy and execution.

It talks about the need to abandon the simplistic reductionism of most

marketing/communications theories and embrace complexity and nuance.

It talks about the need to integrate what we say and how we say it, early in the process.

It talks about searching for ideas in the culture of the brand, rather than the increasingly
unproductive world of consumer insight.

It mentions legendary big-haired rocker John Farnham.

I s n t i t n i c e w h e n t h i n g s j u s t w o r k ?
T h i s i s a p a p e r a b o u t d o i n g p l a n n i n g d i f f e r e n t l y.

I t s a b o u t r e j e c t i n g t h e r e d u c t i o n i s m o f a t r a d i t i o n a l c r e a t i v e b r i e f a n d u s i n g n e w t o o l s t o
embrace complexity and nuance.

I t s a b o u t a p l a n n i n g m o d e l t h a t a l l o w s s t r a t e g i c a n d c r e a t i v e d e c i s i o n s t o b e m a d e a t t h e
same time, in the same place; the integration of what we say and how we say it in a single,
c o n t i n u o u s , f l u i d p r o c e s s n o t a s e p a r a t e d , l i n e a r, i t e r a t i v e o n e .

I t s a b o u t d i s c o v e r i n g a n a u t h e n t i c v o i c e f o r a b r a n d , n o t t h e d e s p e r a t e p u r s u i t o f a
consumer insight.

I t s o u n d s d e a d l y d u l l , b u t d o n t w o r r y, i t s g o t l o t s o f p i c t u r e s a n d a f e w j o k e s .

To b e g i n a t t h e b e g i n n i n g
Honda has had steady success in the UK, growing every year for the last 20 years. But that
s u c c e s s h a d c o m e d e s p i t e H o n d a s b r a n d i m a g e , n o t b e c a u s e o f i t .

T h e m o s t c o m m o n r e a s o n f o r s o m e o n e n o t b u y i n g a H o n d a w a s t h a t i t s i m p l y d i d n t o c c u r
to them.

T h e s e c o n d m o s t c o m m o n r e a s o n w a s t h a t t h e b r a n d d o e s n t a p p e a l .

People bought Hondas despite the brand; for the entirely rational reason that the cars are
excellent.

H o n d a r e a l i s e d t h a t t h i s n e e d e d f i x i n g . I t s h a r d t o b u y a b a d c a r t h e s e d a y s ; s o t h e y
needed people to want their cars for more than practical reasons. And they wanted society
a t l a r g e t o f e e l g o o d a b o u t H o n d a s e x i s t e n c e .

They gave us a brilliantly challenging brief:

Create advertising which people notice.

Create advertising which makes people think of Honda when they think about buying a
n e w c a r.
Create advertising which makes the brand a business asset and makes Honda a company
society cares about.
Launch three new cars.
Use the tag line The Power of Dreams.

O h , a n d b y t h e w a y, c r e a t e a d v e r t i s i n g w h i c h i s s o e f f e c t i v e t h a t t h e y c a n d e c r e a s e t h e i r
media spend every year and still get to 5% market share in three years.

B l i m e y.

We r e a l i s e d t h r e e t h i n g s :

1 . We h a d t o m a k e t h e H o n d a b r a n d d i s t i n c t i v e , d i f f e r e n t a n d s o c i a l l y r e l e v a n t . N o t j u s t
a n o t h e r c a r c o m p a n y. We h a d t o c r e a t e a l o n g - t e r m b r a n d e f f e c t , n o t j u s t a s h o r t - t e r m
sales effect.

2 . We d h a v e t o s u p p o r t a h u g e l y d i v e r s e r a n g e o f p r o d u c t s .

3 . We d h a v e t o c r e a t e g e n u i n e l y b r e a k t h r o u g h a d v e r t i s i n g s t u f f t h a t w o u l d s u c c e e d
a m o n g s t t h e c a r m e d i a c l u t t e r, w i t h a n a u d i e n c e t h a t s i n c r e a s i n g l y u n w i l l i n g t o g i v e u p
any of their spare attention.

The Power of What?

Our first instinct was to drop The Power of Dreams. It sounded like the usual car bollocks.

O u r s e c o n d i n s t i n c t w a s t o f o c u s o n s o m e s i m p l e , o v e r- a r c h i n g v a l u e , s o m e t e r r i t o r y w e
c o u l d o w n i n t h e v a s t a c c u m u l a t i o n o f c a r m a r k e t i n g p a b l u m . We s e t a b o u t d i g g i n g i n t o
H o n d a s h i s t o r y a n d c u l t u r e t o f i n d t h e i n s p i r a t i o n a l n u g g e t .

We s o o n r e a l i s e d o u r i n s t i n c t s w e r e r u b b i s h .

T h e r e w e r e n o n u g g e t s a t H o n d a . T h e r e w a s a g o l d m i n e . We d n e v e r e n c o u n t e r e d a
corporate culture like it; maverick; feisty; inventive; still behaving as though their
unpredictable engineering genius of a founder was stalking the corridors looking for engines
to tweak. They were frustrated that this fantastic culture never found its way into the
a d v e r t i s i n g . T h e y r e a l l y w a n t e d a p o s i t i v e e n g a g e m e n t w i t h s o c i e t y.

This led to our first significant strategic decision.

The Power of Dreams was true. It sprung directly out of their culture, not from a series of
global focus groups, and that kind of human truth about a company was a powerful weapon.
Instead of dropping it, we should explain it. Its apparent vagueness was an opportunity;
we could fill it with real meaning.

So we wondered where to start?

W h o s t h e e n e m y ?
We k n e w t h a t i f w e w e r e g o i n g t o g e t t h e e f f i c a c y a n d b r e a k t h r o u g h w e n e e d e d w e d h a v e t o c r e a t e
advertising with an attitudinal edge; something tonally distinctive.

Something which has stood us in good stead in the past has been thinking long and hard about who
o r w h a t w a s t h e b r a n d s c o n c e p t u a l e n e m y. I t d o e s n t h a v e t o b e o v e r t l y i n t h e w o r k , b u t i t h e l p s u s
find that distinctive edge.

Spending all that time delving into the restless energy of Honda culture, while simultaneously sitting
through reel after reel of car ads, pointed us to a compelling enemy for Honda the bewildering
c o m p l a c e n c y o f t h e c o n t e m p o r a r y c a r i n d u s t r y. We e x p r e s s e d i t o n t h e s e t w o c h a r t s , a n d m u l l e d i t
over for a while.

HONDA

NOT HONDA

HONDA

NOT HONDA

Plain Speaking
Imagination
Optimism
Humanity
Inquisitiveness
Passion

COMPLACENCY

The Power of
Dreams

COMPLACENCY

I t m a d e s e n s e . C o m p l a c e n c y w a s a n i n t e r e s t i n g e n e m y. T h e c r e a t i v e s w e r e e x c i t e d a b o u t w r i t i n g a d s
which were anti-complacency. (So we let them get on with it). But planning was troubled by the old
problem/solution problem; the fact that the problem is invariably more interesting than the solution.
A n d a n y w a y, w e h a t e d t h a t t r i t e l i t t l e t e c h n i q u e o f d e s c r i b i n g a b r a n d w i t h a f e w k e y v a l u e s . T h e y
were all true, but they only hinted at the depths of Honda culture.

So we re-framed it like this:

HONDA

NOT HONDA

+ T h i s w a s b e t t e r. S i m p l e . R e f r e s h i n g . A n d i n t r o d u c i n g s o m e p o s i t i v i t y i n t o a s t a g n a n t
economy felt like a powerful idea.

O n e o f t h e c r e a t i v e s w r o t e a c a m p a i g n w i t h t h e t h e m e l i n e We l c o m e To O p t i m i s m . I t d i d n t
w o r k f o r a n u m b e r o f r e a s o n s , b u t i t e x p r e s s e d e x a c t l y w h a t w e w a n t e d t o s a y. We f e l t
wed cracked the essence of the Honda attitude.

But it was bloody unsatisfying.

A l l t h i s p a r i n g b a c k , a l l t h i s r e d u c t i o n i s m . We d c o m e u p w i t h a g r e a t c o n c e p t u a l h e a d l i n e ,
b u t i t h a d n o e m o t i o n a l d e t a i l . We d e m b r a c e d b e s t m a r k e t i n g p r a c t i c e b u t i t w a s k i l l i n g a l l
the possibilities; it was sucking the nuance and subtlety out of the culture wed seen at
Honda.

And we knew if we were going to build a brand with scale and emotional depth we would
n e e d t o e m b r a c e c o m p l e x i t y.

Keep it complex, stupid

Simplicity is often a false God.

We n e e d e d a b r a n d t h a t c o u l d c r o s s b o u n d a r i e s o f c a t e g o r y, c o u n t r y a n d a u d i e n c e . O n e
with a broad emotional repertoire. Brands that can do that are complex (not complicated
complex). Theyre multi-dimensional, they can talk about different things to different people
in different ways and not be seen as schizophrenic. But wed learned from experience with
Nike that this is hard to accomplish overnight; it normally stems from a long, shared history
of creating advertising.

The conventional branding/planning thinking tools narrowed everything down too much.
P r o p o s i t i o n s . To n e a n d m a n n e r s t a t e m e n t s . B r a n d o n i o n s . B r a n d w h e e l s . Va l u e s s u m m e d u p
in five words. These are horribly unsubtle weapons. Ad people talk about how brands need
to feel like people and then we try and sum them up with a single PowerPoint slide.

Given the breadth of the Honda offering and the depth of the brand, we needed a tool
w h i c h w o u l d l e t u s g o f u r t h e r a n d t h i n k a b o u t t h i s k i n d o f e m o t i o n a l c o m p l e x i t y.

Yo u r e t h e v o i c e . Tr y a n d u n d e r s t a n d i t , m a k e a n o i s e a n d m a k e i t c l e a r
Vo i c e w a s a n i m p o r t a n t i d e a i n d e v e l o p i n g H o n d a a d v e r t i s i n g . ( A n d n o t j u s t b e c a u s e i t a l l o w s u s t o
use the lyrics of Australian mullet-rocker John Farnham as a sub-head; surely an APG first.)

Vo i c e m e a n s m o r e t h a n t o n e a n d m a n n e r ; i t m e a n s t h e s e a m l e s s i n t e g r a t i o n o f w h a t y o u s a y a n d
how you say it; of strategy and execution.

Most advertising models (and most briefing templates) separate what you say and how you say it
during the strategic process; leaving the creatives to re-synthesize them while they make the ads.
The subtle moments that create great communications and great brands normally come from the
thousands of decisions made during execution. Planning seems to only have indirect ways of
engaging with this process; relying on personal influence and research debriefs.

T h i s w o u l d n t w o r k o n H o n d a .

Instead we wanted a way that strategic and creative people could collaborate on strategic and
e x e c u t i o n a l d e c i s i o n s , b e f o r e w e g o t o n w i t h m a k i n g t h e a d v e r t i s i n g . We w a n t e d t o m a k e d e c i s i o n s
a b o u t f o n t s , c o l o u r s a n d v o c a b u l a r y p a r t o f t h e u p f r o n t s t r a t e g i c c o n v e r s a t i o n . We w a n t e d t o c r e a t e a
visceral understanding of the Honda voice before we started making the work. As an inspiration,
not a strait-jacket.

It seemed the best way to create an appropriately wide range of communications, develop a complex,
multidimensional brand, and still get home in time for tea.

The Book of Dreams

P l a n n i n g s s o l u t i o n w a s T h e B o o k o f D r e a m s .

Research told us that existing Honda drivers were as in the dark as everyone else about The Power of
D r e a m s . T h i s o b v i o u s l y a i n t n o g o o d . O u r c u s t o m e r s s h o u l d b e p r o u d t r a n s m i t t e r s o f H o n d a v a l u e s .

So we suggested that our first task, our tool for simultaneous creative and strategic exploration,
should be a book designed to sit in the glove-box of every new Honda and explain The Power of
Dreams.

We d i d n t e x p e c t t h i s w o u l d a c t u a l l y e v e r h a p p e n ( t h o u g h i t s t i l l m i g h t ) ; i t w a s s i m p l y a t h i n k i n g t o o l
for exploring the Honda voice with maximum creative flexibility and maximum strategic input.

We f o u n d q u o t e s a n d i m a g e s w h i c h e x p r e s s e d t h e H o n d a v o i c e . We s c r i b b l e d p o e m s a n d d o o d l e s a n d
t h o u g h t s w h i c h d i d t h e s a m e . We w o r k e d h a r d . I t w a s r e a l c r e a t i v e / s t r a t e g i c e n d e a v o u r, n o t j u s t
p l a y i n g . T h e n w e s t u c k i t a l l o n t h e w a l l a n d w o r k e d o u t w h a t f e l t l i k e H o n d a a n d w h a t d i d n t . We
were very careful not to narrow things down, not to try and create a singular style or tone we
wanted a ton of different approaches which still all felt like Honda.

A w e e k o f t h o u g h t a n d h a i r- t e a r i n g g a v e u s w h a t w e n e e d e d ; a b r a n d b r i e f w h i c h o u t l i n e d H o n d a s
voice; something which integrated what we say and how we say it; the strategic/attitudinal backbone for two years of creative work.

This is that book:

INTERVIEW IN LIFE MAGAZINE 19 May 1972

When Soichiro Honda was 8 years old he saw his

first motorcar. It was a Model T Ford, one of the first
cars to come to Japan. Soichiro ran excitedly after
the car. It leaked oil, he recalls and I got down on
my hands and knees to smell it. It was like perfume.

PEOPLE SAY
IM A DREAMER
BUT IM NOT
THE ONLY ONE

< John Lennon >

EVER WONDERED WHAT THE MOST COMMONLY USED WORD IN THE WORLD IS?
OK. OK?
MANS FAVOURITE WORD IS ONE THAT MEANS ALRIGHT, SATISFACTORY
NOT BAD
SO WHY INVENT THE LIGHTBULB, WHEN CANDLES ARE OK?
WHY MAKE LIFTS, IF STAIRS ARE OK?
EARTHS OK. WHY GO TO THE MOON?
CLEARLY, NOT EVERYBODY BELIEVES OK IS OK.
WE CERTAINLY DONT
AND WE WERE WONDERING.. WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE LIKE IF ITS
FAVOURITE WORD WASNT OK?
WHAT IF WE COULD CHANGE IT?
WHAT IF THE WORD WAS.
WHATIF?

THE DAY I STOP DREAMING IS THE DAY I

I
< Soichiro Honda >

FUNNY HOW WERE ALWAYS TELLING CHILDREN TO GROW UP.

SHOULDNT IT BE THE OTHER WAY? LOOK AROUND YOU.
WHO
ARE THE ONES LAUGHING THE MOST?
THE ONES WHO THINK
THAT NOTHINGS DIFFICULT. SURE AINT THE GROWN-UPS. ITS
THE ANKLE-BITERS.
THE ONES WHO GET EXCITED BY PEBBLES.
THE ONES WHO DONT CARE ABOUT MONEY. THE ONES WHO
RUN FOR NO REASON.
THEYRE THE ONES WITH THE INSIDE
TRACK ON LIFE, AND ALL ITS THRILLING POSSIBLITIES.
JEEZ,
WOULDNT YOU RUN TOO?
MOST OF US WERE CHILDREN ONCE.
HOW ABOUT WE LOOK INSIDE OURSELVES AND GO BACK THERE
AGAIN?
THE ONLY PROBLEM? WE WOULDNT BE ABLE TO DRIVE.

Imagination is more powerful

than knowledge, because
knowledge is limited
- Albert Einstein

champions arent made in gyms. champions are made

from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a
dream, a vision. they have the skill and the will, but
the will must be stronger than the skill.
- Muhammad Ali

If you dont have a dream, how you gonna make

a dream come true?
- Captain Sensible

when i see an elephant fly

 PROGRESS IS IN
THE HANDS OF
UNREASONABLE
MEN.
GEORGE
BERNARD SHAW.

THIS IS THE STORY OF A DOODLE, THAT STARTED LIFE ON A NAPKIN, AND THEN BECAME A DRAWING THAT MADE IT TO THE BOSSES DESK WHO SAID "I LIKE IT, MAKE A MODEL".
AND SO THE DOODLE BECAME A 3D MODEL. AND WENT INFRONT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE WHO SAID "WHY NOT? LETS MAKE IT". SO THE DOODLE WENT INTO PRODUCTION
AND INCREDIBLY THE DOODLE, THAT STARTED LIFE ON A NAPKIN, WENT ON TO SELL AN INCREDIBLE TOTAL OF TWENTY SIX AND A HALF MILLION. BUT INSTEAD OF BASKING IN THIS
GLORY, THE DOODLE THOUGHT OF ALL THE OTHER LESS FORTUNATE DOODLES, WHO HAD TRIED TO MAKE IT TO THE PRODUCTION LINE ALONG THE WAY, BUT FAILED. AND THE
DOODLE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF "I COULDNT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THEM".

NO GOOD IDEA EVER HAPPENED

WITHOUT SOMEBODY STICKING
THEIR NECK OUT.

FAILURE IS FANTASTIC.
FAILURE IS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE, TO BE PROUD OF.
SUCCESS ISNT HALF AS INSPIRING.
EMBRACE YOUR FAILURES, BUILD UPON THEM.
FAILURE IS MISUNDERSTOOD.
IT ISNT A WORD TO BE WHISPERED, TO COWER AWAY FROM, TO KEEP HIDDEN BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
FAILURE IS NOT THE ENEMY. IT IS YOUR GREATEST ALLY.
FAILURE DOES NOT STAND BETWEEN YOU AND A GREAT SUCCESS.
IT IS THE FEAR OF FAILURE WHICH WILL REDUCE YOU TO A QUIVERING WRECK, FROZEN IN THE HEADLIGHTS, A HALF-BAKED SUCCESS.
PUSH YOURSELF, DARE TO AIM HIGH, GO ON, AIM EVEN HIGHER.
BUT, WHEN YOU DO, WHEN YOU SET YOUR MIND ON ACHIEVING SOMETHING TRULY GREAT, ACCEPT ONE INALIENABLE TRUTH. YOU WILL FAIL. YOU WILL FAIL MANY TIMES.
BUT WITHOUT THESE FAILURES AND, JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, THE VISION TO SEE THEM FOR THE MINI VICTORIES THEY ARE, THERE IS NO SUCCESS.
DONT JUDGE YOURSELF ON THE GREATNESS OF YOUR SUCCESSES, JUDGE YOURSELF ON THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR FAILURES.
WHEN WE FAIL, WE FAIL BIG, BECAUSE EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US THAT FAILING BIG LEADS TO SUCCEEDING BIG.
FAILURE AND THE HOPE IT GIVES, THE INSPIRATION AND DRIVE IT DELIVERS, IS WHAT KEEPS A DREAM ALIVE.
IF YOURE NOT FAILING, YOURE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH.
FAILURE IS AN OPTION.

IS YOUR PETROL TANK HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?

BEING OPTIMISTICS A WONDERFUL THING.
YOULL ALWAYS FIND A PARKING SPACE.
YOULL NEVER GET STOOD UP ON A DATE.
OP-TI-MIST-IC.
EVEN THE SOUND OF IT CHEERS PEOPLE UP.
SEE, YOUR FEELING MORE OPTIMISTIC ALREADY ARENT YOU?
SO, WILL A CAR EVER BE ABLE TO RUN ON WATER?
WHY NOT?
WERE YOU THINKING TAP OR MINERAL?
STILL OR SPARKLING?
AS A NOD TO CONVENTION, EVERY HONDA COMES WITH A SET
OF WINDSCREEN WIPERS.
NOT THAT YOULL EVER BE NEEDING THEM.

WOULD WE

ACHIEVE MORE
IF WE WORKED

LESS?

Try
to
do
something
every day
that
scares
you.

- Kurt Vonnegut

HERES YOUR CAR ENGINE.

RECOGNISE IT? COURSE YOU DONT.

WHEN WAS THE

LAST TIME

SORRY TO

YOU EVEN LOOKED AT IT?

SOUND A BIT NARKED.

BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH

EFFORT

WENT INTO PUTTING IT TOGETHER?

PAGES DOODLES.
ENGINEERS
THE TESTS,
THE

OF

MEETINGS.

THE HOURS OF

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS.

GO
DREAM

PLEASE,

AT LEAST LOOK ONCE.

THAT SOMEONES

TO YOUR CAR.

JUST ONCE.

YOURE LOOKING AT.

THANKS.

ARE YOU A DOER?

DOERS ARE NEVER SATISFIED.

ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE NEXT THINGTO DO.
THEY MAY BE A MINORITY.
BUT OUT THERE SOMEWHERE ARE OTHER DOERS.
AND IF YOU SHOULD HAPPEN TO MEET ANOTHER
DOER,

SMILE AND SAY HELLO.

BUT DONT WASTE TOO MUCH TIME.
REMEMBER, YOURE A DOER
AND DOERS DO THINGS
BECAUSE THE LAST THING A DOER WANTS TO SAY
IS.
I WISH ID DONE THAT.

Fair enough, but what about the ads?

G e t t i n g t o t h e a d s w a s p r e t t y s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d o n c e w e d d o n e t h e b o o k . N o t e a s y, b u t
s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d . We s i m p l y t o o k s o m e a s p e c t o f t h e H o n d a v o i c e f r o m t h e b o o k a n d c r o s s b r e d i t w i t h a n o b s e r v a t i o n a b o u t t h e c a t e g o r y.

T h u s t h e J a z z w o r k g r e w d i r e c t l y o u t o f t h e We l c o m e To O p t i m i s m i d e a c o m b i n e d w i t h
the observation that driving is turning into an increasingly aggressive and unpleasant task.
Since small cars are supposed to be about fun we wondered what would be an optimistic
take on modern driving and hit upon the friendliness and road-glow of the Jazz campaign.

OK Factory and Perfume came straight from the book. Banana was a creative progression of
an idea about doodling. Civic grew out of observations about the imaginative openness that
Honda has in common with kids.
CR-V came from the spirit of adventure that some of the spreads uncovered. The ad took
that spirit and showed it was alive in everyday urban driving.

Perhaps the most interesting example was Cog.

The tonal variety in the book suggested the quietness of the spot; up to that point wed
been very loud, very verbal. Embracing complexity meant doing something different, not
something consistent.

T h i s s p r e a d t a u g h t u s t h e r e w a s p o w e r i n H o n d a s p r i d e i n t h e i r e n g i n e e r i n g . W i t h o u t i t
wed have gone nowhere near quality engineering since its territory has been co-opted by
the Germans. This made us take on the challenge.

T h e b o o k s o v e r a l l h u m a n i t y t a u g h t u s t h a t w e h a d t o t a l k a b o u t e n g i n e e r i n g i n a w a y w h i c h
w a s f e l t ; o f t h e h e a r t , n o t t h e h e a d . We c a m e u p w i t h t h e p h r a s e w a r m e n g i n e e r i n g a n d
brought it to life by talking about the feeling you get when you hit the eject button on a
h i g h - q u a l i t y, o i l - d a m p e n e d , t o p o f t h e r a n g e C D p l a y e r.

The rest was down to one of those moments of creative magic.

Hurrah
In the two years weve been working with Honda, sales have consistently beaten industry
expectations and brand tracking has been incredibly satisfying. In the latest wave
c o n s i d e r a t i o n f o r H o n d a b e a t b r a n d s l i k e F o r d , V W, R e n a u l t a n d To y o t a . H o n d a s v o i c e i s
now in the public domain, and theyre starting to mean more than small, dull, reliable cars.

Most of this was down to a fantastic client and agency team and some inspired creative
thinking. But we believe the new ways we invented to integrate strategic and creative
t h i n k i n g m a d e a s i g n i f i c a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n . We r e v e r y p r o u d .

I s n t i t n i c e w h e n t h i n g s j u s t w o r k ?

Some relelvant examples of creative work

Book of Dreams

Advertising

Honda
OK

This commercial is animated

We see workers in a factory stamping white plastic-looking OKs. The OKs are traveling
along a conveyor belt. They travel along the conveyor belt through a duct and out the
other side. We see the workers putting all the correct components into the OKs as they
pass by. We see our hero character, Yamada as he is working at his keyboard pressing
the buttons O and K and starting the OKs on their journey. He has been doing this
everyday, all day. Yamada then sneezes. His helmet slips and his mask comes off. In
sneezing he has blown away all the dust off his keyboard and reveals the other letters on
the keyboard. He sits and looks at his keyboard and pauses before writing the words
What If (we know this by the sound). The machine that makes the OKs starts to
shake. Yamada is surprised at the reaction and leans over the conveyor belt. Something
then flies out very fast past Yamada, we do not see what it is. As it flies by, in a comedy
style it blows off his hat and goggles and shirt, leaving him in a vest. The workers carry
on putting the OK components into the What If as it flies by. The What If then
crashes into the duct and stops as it is too wide to go through. We then for the first time
see the words What if slightly above the conveyor belt and the workers standing
around it looking surprised
Over the above action we will hear the following words, they will start about 2 secs into
the commercial.
MVO: EVER WONDERED WHAT THE MOST COMMONLY USED WORD IN THE
WORLD IS?
OK
OK? MANS FAVORITE WORD IS ONE THAT MEANS ALRIGHT,
SATISFACTORYNOT BAD.
SO WHY INVENT THE LIGHTBULB, WHEN CANDLES ARE OK?
WHY MAKE LIFTS, IF STAIRS ARE OK?
EARTHS OK, WHY GO TO THE MOON?
CLEARLY, NOT EVERYBODY BELIEVES OK IS OK.
WE CERTAINLY DONT.
AND WE WERE WONDERING WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE LIKE IF ITS
FAVORITE WORD
WASNT OK?
WHAT IF WE COULD CHANGE IT?
WHAT IF THE WORD WAS
WHATIF?
TITLE: HONDA. THE POWER OF DREAMS.

Book of Dreams

Advertising

Honda Jazz
Bus Lane

The new Honda Jazz pulls up behind a line of illustrated cars at a set of traffic lights.
On the inside we see a completely empty lane with the words BUS LANE written on it.
VO:

Is your car a bus?

The illustrated driver of the car in front of the new Honda Jazz suddenly lifts up his whole
car as if it were a skirt and tiptoes down the empty bus lane. The Honda Jazz calmly
moves down a space.
VO:

Is it big and red?

Another illustrated car in front of the Jazz sees what is going on and follows suit by
picking its skirt up and tip-toeing down the bus lane. Again the Jazz calmly moves up
a space. As soon as it does the next illustrated car is off down the bus lane.
VO:

Are you providing an essential public service?

At this point from his hiding place behind the traffic light pole, a large illustrated
policeman appears. He flags down all the offending cars.
VO:

No, didnt think so.

The traffic lights turn green and the new Honda Jazz moves off leaving the offending cars
behind.
Title:

The new Jazz

Honda. The Power of Dreams

Book of Dreams

Advertising

Honda
Adventurous

This film is about the beauty and magic of the everyday. But we just dont see it
anymore. Because its our everyday, and nobody believes that that could possibly be
exciting to anyone else. We want to capture in a witty, moving and meaningful way, how
magical and strange the everyday can be. The way American Beauty managed to make
watching a plastic bag the most amazing thing youd ever seen.
We will film the ordinary Saturday morning of a person driving around Orpington in a
Honda CR-V. We will project this film in a small town in a Mexico, a place a world away
from Orpington, and film the locals as they watch it, fascinated by how adventurous and
interesting the everyday in Orpington seems to them.
MVO:

WOULD YOU CALL YOURSELF ADVENTUROUS?

PERHAPS YOURE JUST NOT AWARE THAT YOU LIVE IN ONE OF

THE MOST INHOSPITABLE PLACES ON EARTH.
WHERE PEOPLE FIGHT OVER PARKING SPACES,
AND IDIOTS CROSS WITHOUT WARNING.
A PLACE WHERE YOU MUST EDGE OUT GRADUALLY,
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE,
AND OFFER UP PRAYERS TO THE GOD OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS:
PLEASE STAY GREEN, PLEASE STAY GREEN
OF COURSE YOURE ADVENTUROUS.
YOU JUST HAPPEN TO LIVE IN ORPINGTON, THATS ALL.

TITLE:
THE NEW CR-V.
HONDA. THE POWER OF DREAMS

Book of Dreams

Advertising

Honda
Play

(Music throughout)
We see a number of small children playing in a white limbo set. They are playing with
dozens of different coloured shapes and objects. Big objects; small objects; soft, squidgy
and bendy objects.
The objects are all the same shape and size as car parts from a Honda Civic.
There are four life-size tyres, made out of foam, each a different colour. The kids roll
them and squidge them and stack them and sit on them. There are car doors in orange
plastic with a big hole where the window would be. One of the kids passes through a
door, then steps out of it at the bottom.
There is a big, engine-shaped, knobbly thing with all sorts of bits and bobs sticking out.
The whole thing is made out of soft, multi-coloured shiny vinyl. The kids climb all over it,
grabbing and pulling out various bits. There are four pink foam seats that have been upended and turned into a little camp. Theres an exhaust system made of a long green
plastic tube, with occasional fat bits.
We see red plastic gear sticks; blue squidgy steering wheels; yellow foam mats; handles;
handbrakes; funky big-numbered speedometers; weird funny-shaped things; and a flat
colourful dashboard full of all manner of controls and switches (it looks not unlike a babys
early-learning activity centre). Theres even a big, soft and wobbly bodyshell shape (no
windows or doors). The kids are running through it.
We watch as the kids play happily with all this wonderful stuff, getting all excited by
these objects.
Garrison:

WHY DO WE HAVE TO GROW UP?.

WHAT IF WE LOOKED AT EVERY LITTLE THING WITH THE SAME
EXCITEMENT AND IMAGINATION AS A CHILD?
YOU NEVER KNOW, WE MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING.

We cut to the same limbo set, now empty. All the soft car parts pop rapidly on screen, in
the place theyd be in a car. It turns into a new Honda Civic.
Title:

The Civic.
Honda. The power of Dreams.

Book of Dreams

Advertising

Book of Dreams

Advertising

Book of Dreams

Advertising

The exhaust rolls onto a contraption containing a break pedal and the pedal flings a piece
of rubber into the air. The piece of rubber hits a wheel balanced on top of an upturned
front half of an Accord.

Honda
COG

This ad sees a series of car parts from the new Honda Accord knocking into each other
causing an intricate domino effect.
A small cog rolls along a plank of wood, eventually knocking into a larger cog which itself
knocks onto a cog perched on the end of the plank.
The cog drops onto a crank shaft which rolls round and into an exhaust pipe. The
exhaust pipe turns slowly and knocks an engine valve which is laying on a bonnet.

The wheel falls off and lands in between two break disks. Running between the break
disks is a cable and the weight of the wheel landing pulls on the cable. This releases a
long rod the cable was holding and the rod springs up, tipping a piston.
The piston knocks down onto another piston and this piston knocks a piece of metal
tubing, setting it rolling along a piece of wood. The piece of wood runs through an
Accord front door with the window closed, which hinders the tubes progress. But the
tube rolls over an electric connection which lets the window down and the tube
continues on its way.
It comes to the end of the piece of wood and lands on a sprung handle and is gently
lowered onto another handle and then onto a car battery. This causes an electrical
connection which makes the windscreen sprayers spray out water.

The valve rolls onto another valve which rolls onto a third valve. The third valve rolls off
the bonnet and onto a bolt which is pinning down a flexed dipstick. The dipstick flicks
up and into a radiator balanced on its side.

The water lands like rain on a windscreen lying flat on the floor. About half a foot further
on are the wipers which react automatically to the rain hitting the windscreen. The
wipers are connected so walk along the floor until they knock into a hand break which
releases a rod which is holding up a giant mobile made of windscreens hanging from the
ceiling.

This tips the radiator balance and it falls, knocking into a wheel. This sets the wheel
rolling towards three more wheels all lined up on a ramp going up hill. The wheel
knocks into the first wheel on the ramp and this wheel travels up the ramp due to the
fact that its weighted to go uphill. It knocks into the next wheel which knocks into the
next wheel and then into a break disk.

Thus released the mobile starts spinning round. The wind created from the spinning
blows over a balanced piece of the breakdown equipment, releasing a small tube of iron
which rolls into a dampener spring.

The break disk falls off the ramp but its fall is broken by a seat belt. The weight of the
break disk pulls the seatbelt which is connected to a folded seat. The folded seat turns
from flat to upright with the weight.
When the headrest moves to its upright position it knocks a windscreen wiper
suspended on a break cable above the seat. The windscreen wiper is on a pulley
mechanism and this sets it off down the cable, spinning as it goes.
It knocks into an oil can, tipping it over and spilling some oil onto a weighted ramp below.
The weight of the oil tips the ramp and four springs from the other end come rolling
forward, slowing momentarily in the oil before continuing their journey off the ramp and
into an engine block.

A metal tube is perched on top of the spring and starts rolling down it until it connects
with a car battery, causing an electrical connection.
The dashboard of the Accord lies next to the battery and the connection activates the CD
player which sucks in a waiting CD.
Music starts playing and it is coming from a field of speakers set up on rods. Above the
speakers is a windscreen perched on legs. On top of the windscreen is a dampener.
The vibrations of the music cause the windscreen to shake and the dampner rolls off
onto a clutch pedal.
The clutch pedal releases a hydraulic system and the upward movement pulls a cord
which lowers a sparkplug onto an Accord car key.

The engine block is on one end of a see saw and the weight of the springs tips the see
saw. On the other end of the see saw is a car battery and as this goes up it connects
with a connector which sets off a fan on wheels.

The button on the key is pressed and sends an infra red signal to the boot of the new
Accord estate. The estate is perched on a finely balanced ramp. The closing of the
boot tips the balance of the ramp and the car rolls down.

When the fan has built up enough speed it moves forward, gaining momentum and
breaking from the electrical wires. Moving freely, the fan knocks into a piece of break
fluid cable with a nut at the top. The nut travels down the cable and onto a balanced
exhaust. This sets the exhaust rolling.

GARISSON:
Isnt it nice when things justwork?
The car rolls over a trip wire which releases the boot concealer. The boot concealer
unfurls like a blind revealing the word Accord. The car comes to a standstill by this.
Cut to super.

This is the first minute.

SUPER:

Honda. The power of dreams.

Word count
APG entry (minus synopsis) 2000 words
Contact
russell.davies@wk.com