Honda launches the HR-V Selfie Edition

In 2015 Honda “launched” its HR-V Selfie Edition, a humorous take on its target demographics but also a clever display of its new vehicle. The HR-V Selfie Edition supposedly came with 10 selfie cameras inside and outside the vehicle. The video launched on April Fool’s Day was actually the first time the HR-V was officially shown to the public, and was a powerful way to generate a buzz among the demographic they were targeting as potential customers.

The HR-V Selfie Edition helped raise awareness about the HR-V model. This new crossover vehicle was targeted at young adults, who probably would have actually valued a few of the “selfie” cameras advertised. By starting the conversation about the “Selfie Edition”, Honda was also generating a more relevant conversation about their actual, more serious product, the HR-V model. The virality of the video provided Honda not only free publicity, but also the opportunity to be associated with cutting-edge technology and humor. Potential millennial customers would probably remember these features when thinking about a brand of vehicle.

Measuring the success of this campaign could have relied on monitoring the markets where the video was being shared versus those where it was not. For example, data on internet searches by location about the actual HR-V model -not the “Selfie Edition”- could have provided insight on the effectiveness of the campaign in creating interest on the real product. If there was a clear increase in internet searches in cities where the campaign became viral, it would have been a sign that the video was successful in raising awareness about the new model. Moreover, if this increased awareness later was further associated with higher sales in those same markets, it could hint that its impact went also into improving revenue.