Honda Releases Stop-Motion Film “Paper”
Capitalizing on its belief in “The Power of Dreams,” Honda launched a two-minute commercial, “Paper,” during CBS Sunday NFL on Sunday, Sept. 20.
After months in the making, thousands of hand-drawn and -colored illustrations from multiple artists provide the platform for an intricate paper-flipping journey to show Honda’s history and range of mobility products.
“The Power of Dreams” philosophy speaks to Honda’s belief that drives the company’s R&D and diverse array of advanced-technology products, and to the determination to bring them to market.
This approach to overall brand marketing is the sum of Honda’s best thinking and could only come from the company’s years of design and innovation, says the company.
The commercial takes an unconventional approach to showcase Honda’s “Power of Dreams” — it depicts the journey and many iterations of Honda engines using paper — the medium where many dreams begin — and was entirely shot in-camera with a few scenes stitched together to create one seamless journey. The commercial opens with weathered and sepia-like paper and progresses to modern graph paper.
“Paper” was shot by Academy Award-nominated PES, the creator of some of the most widely viewed stop-motion films of all time, using inventive camera tricks to play with perspective and dimension throughout the commercial.
It opens with founder Soichiro Honda’s use of a radio generator to power his wife’s bicycle, and the story continues with Honda’s development of motorcycles including a nod to winning Isle of Man TT races (1961-1967), segueing to outboard motors and then to the first CVCC vehicle.
Nostalgia leads the viewer through a series of past Honda vehicle models, such as multiple generations of the Civic and Accord as well as the all-new 2016 Pilot, to F1 and Indy racing to the development of robotics and jets and numerous innovations in between. The commercial concludes with the copy, “You never know where a dream will lead you.”
After watching the commercial, users will be prompted to explore an interactive version highlighting each product shown. Clicking a product will trigger a pop-up, allowing users to see the real product, and explore its history and significance to Honda.
Additionally, a behind-the-scenes video elaborates on the production and artistry of the film with commentary from PES.
“Paper” will be supported on Honda’s social channels with Twitter trivia, teaser clips on Instagram and Vine, Honda product images on Instagram and GIFs on Twitter.
The two-minute spot will run on network TV placements scheduled on popular programs such as “Dancing with the Stars,” “Rosewood,” “Minority Report,” and “Blue Bloods.”
Capping the week of Sept. 26, “Paper” will air on ESPN during Saturday College Football. A 60-second version will air throughout October on NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC. In addition to TV, digital placements will occur on Facebook and YouTube.
