Drawing on emotional storytelling from the real world, Honda is launching the next iteration of its “Safety for Everyone” brand campaign, with a series of raw and compelling stories as told by actual Honda customers involved in serious collisions. The customers featured in the series were involved in major collision events, but walked away without serious injury, crediting the performance of the Honda vehicle with saving their lives. The stories featured in the powerful new social video series are taken from social media posts and letters that Honda received from these appreciative customers.

The Safety for Everyone Customer Stories campaign begins today, and will run through 2020 across Honda social channels and on VoD. Each story embodies the central theme from the brand spot that launched in September (https://honda.us/safetyforeveryone-commercial) – that collisions affect more than those directly involved, including family members, loved ones and close friends. The new videos also direct viewers to a “Safety for Everyone” website (https://honda.us/safetyforeveryone-web) where Honda engineers explain how they develop Honda vehicles to help protect customers in various collision scenarios, along with other safety information.

Nicole Hart’s Story
The first customer story featured in the new series involves Nicole Hart, who shared on Facebook and in a letter to Honda, that in April 2019, she reached for a tissue while driving her 2018 HR-V and found herself drifting into oncoming traffic (https://honda.us/safetyforeveryone-nicolestory). Hart’s vehicle hit the utility trailer towed by a pickup truck and her Honda HR-V rolled over multiple times. Hart walked away with only a sprained wrist and minor cuts and bruises, crediting the thoughtful engineering design of her Honda vehicle with her survival: “I truly believe your well-built vehicle saved my life,” she wrote.

“I am grateful to those who designed and engineered my Honda HR-V. The amount of consideration Honda puts into the safety of each and every vehicle they put on the road makes all the difference,” said Hart. “Not only did I have a guardian angel the day I crashed, but I had a Honda.”

Following the crash, HondaLink® Assist, a feature of Honda’s cloud-based connected car system, HondaLink®, automatically prompted a call to a response agent who immediately requested that emergency personnel arrive on the scene. In the case of an emergency, trained response agents can deliver priority attention and request that help be sent to the scene.

“I truly believe that the structure and safety features in my vehicle saved my life,” added Hart. “I applaud Honda for the work they do and for being pioneers when it comes to customer safety.”

“Safety for Everyone” Customer Stories Series
Additional videos in the Safety for Everyone Customer Stories series will be released in the coming weeks, featuring onscreen interviews with family members directly impacted by the safety and well-being of a Honda customer involved in a collision.

In addition to telling customer stories, the new creative shows a long line of falling dominos – an artistic element popular on social media – as a visual metaphor demonstrating how one collision can affect many people: https://honda.us/safetyforeveryone-chainreaction.

Honda’s Safety for Everyone brand marketing campaign will feature an assortment of customer stories and creative available in :30, :15, :08 and :06 formats. The music featured in the new series also was used in Honda’s Safety for Everyone brand commercial, currently airing during primetime cable and major sports games.

Honda’s Safety for Everyone Approach
Safety for Everyone represents Honda’s unique approach to vehicle safety and vision for a collision-free mobile society where its customers and everyone sharing the road – pedestrians, motorcycle riders, cyclists and occupants of other vehicles – can safely and confidently enjoy the freedom of mobility. With nearly 40,000 lives being lost each year in the United States due to motor vehicle crashes, Honda is committed to developing and deploying advanced passive safety and active safety systems that help protect passengers in a wider variety of collision scenarios, such as the recently announced new front passenger airbag technology designed by Honda engineers.  

HondaLink® Assist
HondaLink® Assist1, an additional new feature available on HR-V EX and above, can help request emergency assistance for drivers. If a compatible phone is paired through Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®, there is a cellular connection and an airbag deployment sensor is triggered by a collision, the system is designed to automatically attempt to notify an operator, report the car’s current location, and allow you to talk directly to the operator. The operator can then contact emergency services if needed.

HondaLink®
HondaLink® is Honda’s cloud-based connected car system, which links owners’ compatible smartphones and data packages to their Honda’s embedded telematics system. The subscription-based HondaLink® system works any time the phone and the vehicle both have a data connection, and allows Honda owners a wide range of features and functionality. Basic and Link services are complimentary, with Security, Remote and Concierge services available for an additional charge after a trial period.

HondaLink® offers drivers a wide variety of complementary services, such as the ability to make service appointments, get roadside assistance, and receive recall and vehicle notifications directly on the driver’s smartphone. Additional HondaLink services available on a subscription basis include geofencing and speed alerts for parents of teen drivers, a stolen vehicle locator, enhanced roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, remote start, and even personal concierge services.