Movie Themes Drive Luxury Car Spots

Advertiser: American Honda Motor Co.

Agency: Suissa Miller Advertising, Los Angeles

Challenge: Continue to carve out an identity for the Acura luxury line.

The Ad: This 30-second spot borrows elements from “Mission Impossible” and DreamWorks SKG’s recent “Peacemaker” thriller. An alarm sounds, and a man receives his instructions via computer: “Nick, there is still one missile left. You must get it before the others do.” Nick races off in his Acura TL, as the voice-over notes the vehicle’s horsepower is helping him get there while the climate control system is keeping Nick cool. Nick reaches his destination--a toy store, where he purchases the last missile for his son.

Comment: Acura is trying to carve out an identity with ads that lie somewhere between noisy pitches about product features and snobbish sophistication of other luxury car lines. This spot, the first in a batch for various Acura models, cleverly blends pop culture images with a product message, though details about horsepower are probably lost on some viewers. While the spot doesn’t exactly ooze luxury, it is probably true that pseudo-spies wouldn’t be seen in anything less than a $30,000 car. $$$

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Ads are rated from $ to $$$$, based on tastefulness and probable effectiveness, with $$$$ being best.