If there’s one thing the Internet loves (aside from cats and pornography), it’s cheesy celebrities from bygone eras. This has accounted for the revival of figures like Rick Astley, who has reemerged in the public consciousness thanks to rickrolling. RPA seeks to cash in on the phenomenon with their “Happy Honda Days” campaign, featuring Michael Bolton, the man once referred to as a “no-talent ass clown” in Office Space who returns to advertising after stints in spots like the one for Optimum earlier this year.
The campaign contains four new spots, all of which feature Bolton singing. Each spot begins by asking “What does it feel like to get a great deal at Happy Honda Days?” before answering with an original holiday song from Michael Bolton. (These would have been much funnier if they had made Bolton sing “When a Man Loves a Honda,” but I digress…) Our favorite is the spot featured above, in which Bolton’s singing is met by blank stares (probably the most honestly depicted reaction of the four spots/how we would react in that situation). As you can surmise, RPA went for the goofy approach with this campaign, in the hopes that people find the spots memorable. It would help if there was a little more variation among the four 30 second ads, as they all feel like basically the same spot. In addition to the TV campaign, there will be a live social media event on November 22nd featuring Bolton delivering personalized messaged under the promoted hashtag #XOXOBolton, as well as print and radio campaigns.
We don’t know about you, but we can’t see or hear anything about Michael Bolton without thinking of this. Credits and second “Happy Honda Days” spot after the jump.
Credits
Agency: RPA
EVP, CCO: Joe Baratelli
SVP, ECD: Jason Sperling
CW: Chris Juhas
AD: Ben Tolbert
SVP, Agency Executive Producer: Gary Paticoff
Agency Producer: Joshua Herbstman
Agency Production Coordinator: Angela Pascal
Production Co: Humble
Director: Whitey McConnaughy
EP: Ned Brown
Line Producer: Megan Moore
DP: Max Goldman
Editorial Company: The Reel Thing
Editors: Lance Pereira and Val Thrasher
Post Producer: Doug Klekner
Flame Artist: Moody Glasgow
Telecine: The Mill
Colorist: Adam Scott
Music Composition: HUM
Audio Mix: Lime Studios
Mixer: Dave Wagg
Singer: Michael Bolton
“Talent”: Michael Bolton