Honda Embarks on Breakthrough Twitter-centric Campaign Featuring Vine Videos in Support of Summer Clearance Sales Event

Unique campaign starts July 15 with promoted hashtag #wantnewcar

Honda to respond to user-generated tweets with real-time Vine videos

Summer Clearance TV Spot "Super Fan" Responds to Neil Patrick Harris

TORRANCE, CA--July 15, 2013: In support of the annual Summer Clearance Sales Event, Honda will launch a unique social media campaign in which the brand will directly engage with Twitter users utilizing real-time Vine videos. Launching July 15, Honda will respond to tweets with the #wantnewcar hashtag with live Vine videos encouraging users to ditch their old car and purchase a new Honda through the Summer Clearance Sales Event. In addition to the social media component, the Summer Clearance event will be supported by television, print, digital and radio advertising leveraging the #wantnewcar conversation and user-generated tweets.

"Starting Monday, Honda will promote #wantnewcar, urging Twitter users to vent about their need for a new car for a chance to receive personalized Vine video responses directly from Honda, all shot and uploaded that day," said Susie Rossick, Senior Manager at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "This campaign provides a new and unique way to remind people that summer is the best time to get a great deal on a Honda."

These Vine videos will include news of the Honda Summer Clearance Sales Event in an organic way specific to the users concern. According to Rossick, "If a user mentions needing a new car to pick up a pizza, that Vine video response may feature a Honda dealer offering a great deal…with a mouth full of pepperoni."

In addition to the social media promotion, the Summer Clearance Sales Event campaign will feature eight TV spots that show various Honda dealers humorously responding to real tweets, while finding alternative cars and deals for viewers to consider. The TV spot "Super Fan" addresses an actual tweet from actor Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother," "The Smurfs") in which @ActuallyNPH asks for advice on selecting a minivan. "Dance Party" highlights standard features such as Pandora® when the dealer has a sudden dance party in a Civic based on a tweet from @KasiJackson.

Spots will air during national prime network programs such as "Shark Tank," "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition," "CSI," "Vampire Diaries," "Two Broke Girls," "America's Got Talent" and cable networks, including A&E, Animal Planet, Bravo, AMC and TBS. Print creative will run in top consumer weekly publications such as "Entertainment Weekly," "People," "Sports Illustrated," "Bloomberg Businessweek," and "TIME" as well as top-tier daily newspapers that include the "The New York Times," "Wall Street Journal" and "USA Today."

Online ads will run in top automobile and consumer websites, including AOL Autos, Edmunds, MSN Autos, Autobytel, AutoTrader and Cars.com, with a home-page takeover on "USA Today" that will pull in @Honda's live Twitter feed for viewers to keep up with the Vine video responses. The #wantnewcar promoted trends on Twitter will take place on 7/15.