Honda Gets Rugged in New Brand Campaign 09.10.2020: Campaign demonstrates the capability, versatility and rugged character of 2021 Passport and Pilot SUVs, and previews the redesigned 2021 Ridgeline pickup Actor and WWE superstar, John Cena, is new voice of Honda brand Honda light truck sales

    Campaign demonstrates the capability, versatility and rugged character of 2021 Passport and Pilot SUVs, and previews the redesigned 2021 Ridgeline pickup

    Actor and WWE superstar, John Cena, is new voice of Honda brand

    Honda light truck sales have climbed five consecutive years



Honda highlights the not-so-obvious capabilities of its SUV and truck lineup in a new brand marketing campaign. The opening spot in the campaign touts the highly-versatile 2021 Passport and Pilot SUVs, including the Pilot Special Edition, demonstrating their capability on- and off-road, with a glimpse of the redesigned 2021 Honda Ridgeline pickup. The first commercial in the new brand campaign also debuts actor and WWE superstar, John Cena, as the new voice of the Honda brand.



“Honda SUVs and trucks have always had excellent on-road manners and surprising off-road capabilities. Through this new campaign Honda wears those rugged capabilities more on our sleeves,” said Jay Joseph, vice president of Automobile Marketing, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “In a truck-trending market, we will showcase Honda SUVs and our pickup in environments that display the capabilities hidden beneath their sleek exteriors, demonstrating they can face most any challenge en route to that next great adventure.”



The multi-channel brand campaign features Honda’s award-winning light truck lineup, along with the company’s off-road powersports products, including the Honda Talon sport side-by-side and CRF performance dirt bikes, and a Honda EU2200i Generator, now available with the Honda My Generator Bluetooth® App and CO-Minder™ advanced carbon monoxide detection system. The campaign will run through 2021, featuring a wide range of Honda adventure products.




New Voice of the Honda Brand



The campaign marks the debut of actor and WWE superstar, John Cena, as the new voice of the Honda brand. Cena’s voice will be featured across all marketing creative for Honda cars and light trucks.



“John Cena is known for his toughness and strength, but he also has a lot of heart and he’s a real car enthusiast, making him a perfect fit to be the new voice of Honda,” said Joseph.



“I’m looking forward to this new relationship with Honda because I’ve always been a big fan of Honda products and how deeply involved they are in the community,” said John Cena.




Campaign Creative


The creative from the new campaign puts a spotlight on the performance of Honda products that challenge the most rugged of terrains, along with their capability to amaze. Honda is the only brand to make products across the entire spectrum of outdoor adventuring, including SUVs and trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-sides and products that support outdoor life, such as generators. The next phase of the campaign will star the redesigned 2021 Ridgeline, tied to its on-sale early next year.



    Honda’s new creative will be featured on national broadcast, including high-profile national sports, including the NBA Finals, top-rated NFL games and College Football within SEC & Big 12 games on CBS and FOX.


    The :60 second and :30 second spots will air on premium cable networks, such as TBS, Bravo, USA Networks, TNT, as well as on-demand video programs like Hulu, NBC Universal, Watch ESPN and FOX Sports Go.


    The campaign also includes a Spanish-language version of the spot on Univision and Telemundo for the Hispanic market.
    The campaign will extend across digital media properties, such as Amazon, Verizon Media, Spotify, Tripadvisor, National Geographic and CBS Sports, along with Hispanic platforms, including Mitú.


    The campaign will run across social media, including a heavy presence on Pinterest, with sponsorship of the “Rewilding” trend from the 2020 Pinterest 100 Trend report through an official P100 badge. Additionally the campaign will run on Snapchat and Reddit including category takeovers.




Honda Record Light Truck Sales


Honda light-truck sales have seen substantial growth over the past decade, including record sales in each of the past five years (2015-2019). What’s more, Honda SUVs have delivered eight straight years of record sales (2012-2019) and 10 straight years of growth (2009-2019). While every Honda light truck model is already a top retail player, the light truck market represents a huge growth opportunity for Honda in America.




- Honda North America also photo