Honda and Michael Bolton wish you happy holidays, social-style

Mon, 18 Nov 2013

There's nothing like landing a big celebrity for a high-profile advertising campaign to say to the world "Our brand has still got it!" Dodge, for instance, has been getting huge publicity by landing Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, to pitch its entire lineup on TV and on YouTube. Honda meanwhile, has reeled in the biggest fish in the 1990s Soft Pop category, the ineffable Michael Bolton. (We're assuming that Kenny G was booked.) We don't see how this can backfire, Honda.

In an effort to promote its annual holiday-season sales event, Honda has tapped the multitalented Bolton – he sings, acts and stares longingly at you from across the room – to dangle himself as a prize for ardent social media users. That's right, for the next few days (November 18 to 22), people that use the hashtag #XOXOBolton on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Vine, will be entered to win one-of-a-kind "musical greeting cards" from the now very blond crooner.

Not enough Bolton for you? Don't worry, Honda's got Michael booked for six TV commercials to air throughout the holiday season, too. Scroll down to ~~get lost in Bolton's luxuriant eyes~~ watch the promotional video from Honda.

Happy Honda Days Campaign Taps Grammy® Award-Winning Michael Bolton to Highlight Year-End Sales Event

11/18/2013

- Integrated holiday-themed campaign stars Michael Bolton on TV and social media
- Unique live social media event on Nov. 22 features Bolton delivering personalized holiday greetings with promoted hashtag #XOXOBolton

- Happy Honda Days campaign includes digital, print and radio

Honda is going over the top this holiday season with a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek multiplatform advertising campaign for the annual Happy Honda Days year-end sales event that features multiple Grammy® Award-winning singer, songwriter Michael Bolton. The integrated campaign launches on TV today and is supported in print, digital and radio advertising. To bring the campaign to life across social media, Honda is hosting a one-day live social media event on Friday, Nov. 22, featuring Bolton responding to posts that use the hashtag #XOXOBolton with personalized messages from the set of a life-size holiday card.

"Michael Bolton's universal appeal and charisma will catapult our holiday campaign beyond the usual automotive sales-event advertising," said Susie Rossick, Senior Manager at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Our #XOXOBolton effort allows us to share the joy of the holidays with Honda shoppers, owners and fans and remind them this is the best time to buy."

#XOXOBolton Social Media Event
From Nov. 18 to 22, people will be encouraged to tweet, Facebook, Instagram or Vine a holiday message to a friend, family member or loved one using the recipient's name and hashtag #XOXOBolton. On Friday, Nov. 22, Michael Bolton will deliver the ultimate holiday greetings by incorporating select #XOXOBolton hashtagged messages into one-of-a-kind musical greeting cards-personalized videos that will feature Bolton singing from inside a giant holiday card.

Happy Honda Days Campaign
The Happy Honda Days year-end sales-event campaign features six TV spots starring Bolton belting original, fantastical holiday-themed tunes such as "Snow Is Gonna Blow, Blow, Blow." They will air on network, cable and spot TV in more than 210 markets during "The Amazing Race," "Big Bang Theory," "Duck Dynasty," "Modern Family," "The Voice" and others. The creative extends to high-impact digital display, pre-roll and mobile, national radio and national print such as "People," "Sports Illustrated" and "USA Today."

About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. In 2013, Honda marks 40 years of the Civic model, with more than 30 years of producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio, in November 1982. Having produced more than 25 million vehicles in North America through 2012 using domestic and globally sourced parts, Honda currently operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions.

About Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton has won multiple Grammys® for Best Male Vocalist, sold more than 53 million records, released 9 #1 singles, and received countless other honors throughout his career as a singer, songwriter and humanitarian. He continues to tour the world and has sung with legends like Luciano Pavarotti, BB King, Placido Domingo and Ray Charles. Michael has written songs with icons like Bob Dylan and Lady Gaga, and penned hits recorded by superstars such as Barbra Streisand, Cher, KISS, and Kanye West/Jay-Z. Michael was featured in the Emmy-nominated Saturday Night Live video, "Jack Sparrow," that went on to become a viral sensation racking up over 115 million views to date. He has also been featured in People Magazine "Sexiest Man Alive" issues including 2012. Of all that he has accomplished, perhaps nothing is more important to Bolton than the foundation he founded in 1993, The Michael Bolton Charities which has disbursed over $10million to assist women and children at risk.

By Seyth Miersma