Ad of the Day: W+K Shoots for the Stars in Grand 'Ignition' Film for Honda

We have "Ignition." That's the title of Wieden + Kennedy London's new pan-European campaign for Honda, which uses spaceflight as a visual metaphor for bold innovation. Actually, the metaphors are mightily mixed in the campaign's launch film, which packs plenty of imagery and action into its 90-second run time, referencing Honda's heritage across consumer automobiles, Formula 1 racing, aviation, robotics and more. "We wanted something that encapsulated a feeling of daring and human endeavor," W+K creative director Scott Dungate tells Adweek. "Space travel is perhaps the biggest expression of this, so we thought creating a story that revolved around the anticipation of a rocket launch felt like an entertaining way to dramatize the 'challenging spirit' that runs through Honda and its products." Asimo the robot makes an appearance, as does McLaren-Honda driver Jenson Button. At one point, the voice of the late Formula 1 icon Ayrton Senna is heard. There's a spacey convoy of Honda vehicles—motorcycles, an HR-V, the highly anticipated Civic Type R and a jet plane—moving in moody slow motion at dawn, as if taxiing down some futuristic tarmac, preparing to blast off into the distant sunrise. "We shot on an abandoned bridge in Kiev, [Ukraine]" says Dungate. "It was an epic shoot location, and aside from a little [visual-effects] clean-up on the bridge surface, what you see in the film is what existed, right down to the sun rising pretty much dead in the center of the runway." The family inside the HR-V wears custom-made astronaut/racing-crew gear, and the soundtrack features some of the classical selections from the audio disc launched into deep space on the Voyager 1 space probe. No Chuck Berry, though. "Dare to do the things others only dream of," is the tagline. It's all a bit much, and impossible to fully absorb in one viewing. Still, the central image of the fleet of vehicles is impressive, the overall style compelling, and director Aoife McArdle's reach (for the stars) never exceeds her grasp. "Inventive camera techniques allowed us to represent movement and the sensation of being in a rocket within any grounded Honda vehicle," McArdle says. "Taking inspiration from classic science fiction, this film was an exciting opportunity to be playful with visual perspective, gravity and atmosphere." Print work below: CREDITS Client: Honda Motor Europe (HME) Project: Ignition Lead Clients: Jemma Jones & Jonathan Allee Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, London Creative Director: Scott Dungate Senior Creative Director: Kim Papworth Executive Creative Directors: Tony Davidson, Iain Tait Producer: James Laughton Group Account Director: Nick Owen Account Director: Alex Budenberg Account Manager: Olivia Amato-Pace Planner: Martin Beverley Interactive Producer: Silvan Schreuder Creative Producer: Mark D'Abreo Design Director: Karen Jane Designer: Sanket Avlani Production Company: Somesuch Director: Aoife McArdle Executive Producer: Sally Campbell Line Producer: James Waters Director of Photography: John Lynch Art Dept: David Lee Wardrobe: Jane Petrie Editorial Company: Final Cut London Editor: Dan Sherwen Producer: Frankie Elster VFX Company: The Mill Producer: Gemma Humphries VFX Supervisor: Dan Adams (2D) & Jonathan Wood (3D) Music+Sound Company: Factory Studios & Siren @ Factory Ltd Composer: Walter Mair via Siren Sound Designer: Anthony Moore Song 1: Peter Pan Orchestra & Chorus - A Trip on a Rocket Ship Song 2: Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No.5 in C via Imagem PM Song 3: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Queen of the Night Aria from the Magic Flute via Imagem PM Print Production: Photographer: John Offenbach Production Company: Mark George Retouchers: Stanleys Post CGI Model: The Mill

Brand Marketing

Ad of the Day: W+K Shoots for the Stars in Grand 'Ignition' Film for Honda

Brand celebrates 'daring and human endeavor'

David Gianatasio

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David Gianatasio