Honda Grrr Ad Wins the Cannes Grand Prix

Fun Loving Animation an Odd but Effective Way to Sell Clean, Quiet Diesel Power

Sometimes TV ads can be funnier than the "comedy" they sponsor, and in the case of a new animated Honda spot designed to sell the Japanese automakers award-winning 2.2i-CDTi diesel powerplant over dirtier, more conventional diesel engines, its highly effective.

The "Grrr" TV spot, created by Wieden & Kennedy of London and produced by Nexus Productions, has won the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival Film Grand Prix.

The award was announced by Film Jury president John Hunt at a press conference prior to a ceremony in the Palais des Festivals on June 25.

According to AdAge.com, the ad was popular among festival attendees and professional critics from the start. But this should make some sense considering the number of top honors that "Grrr" has already collected, such as the Best of Show at the One Show, the Grand Clio, a Grandy, and eight British Design & Art Direction awards.

"Its such a unique spot," commented Hunt.

And unique might sum it up best, according to Ad Age, being that the cheerily animated ad features a "flock of diesel engines flying playfully among flora and fauna, set to a Garrison Keillor-crooned track Can Hate be Good?..."

"Just somehow the sum of its parts come together to make it so unique," Hunt added. "The soundtrack is beautiful, the animation. The idea is such a simple proposition and it entranced us all. When re-watching the commercials, often you see two or three frames and move on, but I noticed the jury didnt mind watching that one again. Its just one of those commercials that entertains you as it sells you and the premise is blindingly simple."

The 22-person jury came to a decision with little debate, continued Hunt. "In the end, because there was the sense that Grrr was probably the Grand Prix, I asked the jury to write secret ballots for their first and second favorites for the award. 17 chose Grrr as their first choice. For second, the Adidas campaign, Hello Tomorrow and a few others were also mentioned. But there was no discussion about the Grand Prix. It was way mathematically ahead of anyone else."

And the honor of achieving top spot is all the more sobering when factoring in that 4,996 entries from 74 countries didnt make the final cut. In total, 18 Gold Lions were awarded to firms from ten countries.

Of course, the U.S. took top podium with five awards, followed by the United Kingdom with three. An additional two went to France and Thailand, while Brazil, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and Peru each earned a single Gold Lion.

Honda, which has never offered a diesel-powered vehicle in North America, but recently set 19 world records with its diesel-powered European Accord (see automotive news for May 28, 2004: Honda Sets 19 World Records with Accord 2.2i-CDTi Sport), feels it can do well in North America with its performance-oriented diesel lineup.

Time will only tell if diesel powerplants become as popular in North America as they are in Europe, where the alternatively fuelled engines are fast becoming the majority sold.

Honda may want to consider launching its 2.2-litre diesel in North America with this ad, as it just might be innovative enough to spark greater interest in diesel technology.

Enjoy the winning Honda Diesel Grrr ad with the whimsical "Can Hate Be Good?" soundtrack here: http://www.andyawards.com/winners/index.php