Actually that's a very good treatment - is it copy righted at this very moment?

 

That would be an excellent commercial. It could also work without the Fit pun (if the actors do the right expressions), and just have a voice over at the end.

Sell it to Honda! They probably won't go for it though - not juvenile enough.

 

You really need to look at a career in marketing. That is an excellent idea. I agree that you should sell it to Honda.

 

and it was copyrighted the moment you wrote it down, automatically, so if someone steals it and doesn't pay you... sue them!

I like the ending!

 

Yeah right -

There's actually a very simular UK market Mini commercial from way back in the day (late 60's early 70's) but it's still a good way to tell the story.

Those of us that do work in the "grey" area of advertising practice "theftivity" everything old is new again....

 

Thanks for the compliments ... though, I wouldn't have a clue as to how to offer it to Honda.

Maybe I should add a signature...
(c)2006 DewaltDakota. All Rights Reserved.

I'd like to see it, if there's a copy of out there, anywhere... would be kinda cool!

 

Thanks for the Honda Canada site, Carley. There is little to build--base or sport & which transmission. Still it was fun to see the colors change and some pricing. I agree with other's comments about the marketing thus far. OTH, the only info. I have has been internet driven. I did see one newpaper article here about the Fit's debut about 3 weeks ago. It helps that the Fit isn't really a new car and there is lots of international data (crash tests in Europe, etc.) available online. This forum has also been a great help.

 

i always thought that the website was silly, but i guess i never thought about it being geared toward 10-year-olds (although i was one only 12 years ago ). just be at peace knowing that this will all be over in about a week.

 

Yes, you had the manual 3 months early, with a bunch of wrong information. How useful.


Bingo.

 

I think Honda should do a spoof of the VeeDub GTi commercials. Show some nerdy dude with a bland car, have some nutty ninja Asian ragging on him then poof, a completely riced out Fit drops down and crushes the guys car.

But, then, the nerdy looking guy is shown to be standing on a skateboard. He skates over, does some kick flips on the way, opens hatch, throws in the board, pulls off the wing and hood scoop, does the magic seat thing putting the wing and scoop inside, then a "My Go" Summo wrestler gets in the front passenger seat and the dude drives off.

 

(I said I had the Mazda RX-8's manual three months early and watermelonman replied)

The PDF I downloaded was identical to what was in the car when it arrived. I was happy, and when I went to pick the car up I was able to show the dealer all the neat interior features he hadn't spotted

 

Uncool with the younger crowd perhaps but it has worked out enormously well for Scion. Kids don't have to think it is cool, their parents (the ones with the money) have to think the kids think it is cool.

 

Engine output was off by such a large amount that Mazda reportedly offered free maintenance and buy back programs.

 

The marketing and the "Aero kit" stuff are all geared to "10 year olds" - I really think they are missing their mark here - my only hope is that not only will the ads change but they will soon begin to offer the "good stuff" (cruise, remote locking, upgraded stereo, etc) without the tacked on exterior plastic.

 

Engine output was off by a small amount (244 hp v 249 if I remember correctly) compared to advertised values in the previous months. I hardly cared, but Mazda clearly did - when they realised they gave me $500 cash plus free service for the 4-year warranty period (and this is for a car than needs service every 3,000 miles). I am not crying

Plus, I hate to tell you, but the US Fits are on a boat with the owner manual inside the glove compartment - they are not going to print them on April 20th. It really should be on the web by now.

I can't contradict you if you say that it is deliberate Honda strategy not to release information in advance of the car being at the dealership. But it would have cost them a sale from me. We waited 5 months for the RX-8 (after a major disagreement with a Pathfinder trashed the MX-5) because we had enough information to know that we wanted that car, and were willing to put up with the incovenience of a single car for a long time to get what we wanted.

Now that I am looking to replace our second car, I can tell you that if the Fit wasn't hitting my dealer next week but instead was out in late May, I would not wait for it even for a month because there is not enough information on the Honda website to make it worth my while, when I know there are other vehicles in this class that are acceptable to me. Even if I was a college student, the same thing would apply - I don't recall being (much) stupider back then. Lucky the Fit is a Jazz and there is some information about it already worldwide and when I heard about it I was only a couple of weeks away from launch. Otherwise I would have bought a car last wekeend.

If Honda think they are generating "excitement" by being coy I am sure they think they are getting something out of it to make up for those "lost sales" in the previous months. I just don't know what it is. Mind you, I had to talk to three people at my dealer before I found somebody who knew what month the cars were coming in, so I don't know where the launch excitement exactly.

 

I can understand secrecy when replacing an existing model because they don't want to take away sales from the remaing vehicles.

On a new vehicle they should release as much information so that people will wait instead of buying another vehicle - as mentioned above.

 

Honda does not want to sell TOO many Fits. A big part of the Honda strategy with the Fit is to develop floor traffic and get people to buy up to either a Civic or a Accord.

This is why their advert so far is so stupid. Customer goes in out of curiosity with a somewhat negative image, satisfies curiosity, salesman steers customer away from Fit with "only teens or college kids buy that little thing".

There is plenty of info on the six year old Fit on the net, Honda knows that. For savvy buyers, no need for Honda to add to it, rather they want to influence the not so savvy hoping to eventually get them in a Civic or Accord.

 

I think it would work better if there was a new Honda sports car with a V8. If you were a salesman and someone came into your dealership to check out a Fit, the least expensive car in your line up, why would you want to bump them to a Civic, or Accord? The Fit is new and demand is high. Oh yeah, it's the least expensive. Trust me usually it's harder to get someone to spend more money. Take ford for instance. They have the Ford GT MSRP 140k, people come in look at it, and buy a Mustang GT. Trust me the salespeople don't try to switch a Focus buyer to a Fusion, it's usually the other way around.

 

The only time they try to get you to move down a model is once you have told them what you are willing to spend. Then they do their best to convince you of the merits of the less expensive model - of course at the price you already mentioned.

 

As a salesman, you want options, so people don't walk. Before the Fit, if someone comes in looking at a Civic and balks at the price, then you've got to switch to used. In spite of what you probably just said about how great it is to buy a new car....

Now with the Fit, the salesman can keep the customer in the showroom with another viable option to show them.

That's why Honda could use something larger than the Accord in their line up too. As a salesman, it's probably your worst nightmare than the Fit problem. You've got someone with $$ to burn, but if they want something a little bigger (or more powerful, or with a few more luxury features) all you can do is look at used or try to convince them to get a mini-van or SUV instead. Fat chance. Then, you curse Honda as they leave for the Acura dealer and buy the "same Honda quality" you just sold them on for the last hour.