For nearly three decades, the Honda CR-V has been a household favorite amongst daily drivers thanks to its blend of style, comfort, and reliability. Honda has expanded its rugged lineup and credibility with the introduction of the MY26 Honda CR-V TrailSport Hybrid—the first hybrid TrailSport model in the automaker’s history.  

Unlike MY26 Passport TrailSport buyers who are motivated by vehicle capability, CR-V buyers are spurred by the desire to create unique memories with their loved ones. Their lives are rooted in the city, yet they’re always gearing up for an outdoor weekend adventure with friends, family, or pets! At least 69% of people in our target were dog owners, so we knew we needed to highlight the moments of connection that rugged vehicles make possible: road-tripping with the windows down, turning your trunk into a cozy haven, hiking with your dog, or sharing a meal around the campfire—leading to our social strategy: in the CR-V TrailSport Hybrid, this could be us!

8 story-driven social videos flowed out of our strategy, capturing relatable, core memory moments with our talent (and dog!) that our audience could share and save. How-to videos for traveling with a dog, packing list guides, road-trip camera roll recaps—we wanted each video to feel genuine to the car camping experience and to deepen the connection between a person’s adventurous spirit and a vehicle like the CR-V.

‍

By collaborating with priority social platforms, we created valuable customization in the creative versioning.  

We’ve found valuable and insightful collaboration by prioritizing synergy interdepartmentally and with our priority platforms. Working with our media strategy leaders to meet with Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and Reddit early in our development process has led to increased optimization of our creative and high-impact ads. For example, our recent Reddit Ask Me Anything for the MY26 Passport TrailSport gained groundbreaking attention and engagement from organic Honda fans. Building off that momentum, we created two Reddit free-form ads that helped users pack for their next camping trip or learn more about the TrailSport lineup.  

In addition to our social strategy, we supported the CR-V launch with TV spots that built on the distinctive and rugged creative device developed for the Passport launch, featuring bold, animated brush strokes that bring adventurous landscapes to life. To round out the campaign, our media plan extended across contextually relevant digital placements through strategic partnerships with First We Feast, Amazon, IMDb, Bleacher Report, Spotify, Twitch, and Uber, ensuring we reached potential buyers at every touchpoint.

‍