Whether it was a rusty old clunker or a shiny new convertible, everyone has a special place in their heart for their first car. (I'm still convinced that Saab is the greatest automaker in existence, bankruptcy be damned.) Now, Honda, not a particularly nostalgia-inducing name in the automobile world, is trying to tap into that "first car" sentiment by taking us back through the brand's history.
In addition to a Facebook page, Pinterest board and hashtag encouraging people to get wistful about their #FirstHonda, the company has produced the spot below from ad agency RPA, which tells the heartwarming story of one particularly Honda-obsessed man: California resident Tim Mings. His first car was a Honda N600, the first model the company produced for the U.S. market. His love of that funny-looking little vehicle led to a hobby, and eventually a career, restoring old N600s. His crowning achievement as a Honda aficionado came when he located and purchased N600 serial No. 1—the very first Honda imported into the U.S. in 1969.
Listening to Mings wax poetic about the N600, like other car geeks would about an old Chevy or Ford, somehow makes the brand seem a little less foreign and a little more warm and fuzzy. And while the generic-looking, modern-day Honda line probably won't make anyone say "awww," you can't deny the 1969 N600 was pretty damn cute.
But who knows. Someday, you might be getting teary-eyed about your 2010 Civic.
CREDITS
Client: Honda
Agency: RPA, Santa Monica, Calif.
Executive Vice President, Chief Creative Officer: Joe Baratelli
Senior Vice President, Group Creative Director: Jason Sperling
Vice President, Creative Social Media Director: J. Barbush
Vice President, Associate Creative Director, Art: Luis Ramirez
Social Media Writer: Jenaca Holmes
Intern: Randall Head
Agency Executive Producer: Gary Paticoff
Agency Senior Producer: Mark Tripp
Director: Mark Tripp
Director of Photography: Stephen Carmona
Editorial: Butcher
Editor: Teddy Gersten
Executive Producer: Rob Van
Color: Zac Dych
Music: Beacon Street Studios
Mixer: Paul Hurtubise