"Just because you grew up, got a job, got married and had a family,” says the voiceover in this ad, delivered by actor Jack Lemmon, “doesn't mean you have to get one of those, uh, those, you know."
He’s talking about a mini-van, the epitome of uncool. But the ad is trying to sell exactly that, in the form of Honda new Odyssey, so it needs a little help to make the pivot. The animation is thus based on the recognizable illustrations of the downtown-New York artist Keith Haring, who died in 1990 and whose estate licensed the images to Honda. His work also fit Honda’s mission because he often depicted families and babies, Rubin Postaer & Associates President-CEO Gerry Rubin told The New York Times. It was “relevant as symbolic reference points for a mini-van," he said.
Honda ran two ads incorporating Haring’s art during Super Bowl XXIX. Unlike most Super Bowl commercials, Honda’s ads began appearing before game day, part of a broader campaign with an estimated cost of $20 million.
Honda and RPA came back to the Super Bowl to sell the Odyssey again in 1999 ("Family Negotiations") --and many times after that, with further big-game spots including "Peaks" in 2005, "Hugfest" in 2014 and "A New Truck to Love" in 2016.
BRAND: Honda
YEAR: 1995
AGENCY: Rubin Postaer & Associates
SUPERBOWL: XXIX
QUARTER AIRED: Q4