How Honda is Helpful
From Tagline to Testimony
The SoCal and San Diego Honda Dealers have a long-standing reputation for living up to one specific word: “helpful.” For almost twenty years, that one-word slogan has painted a picture of friendly salespeople and trustworthy service, emphasizing how helpful the dealers and employees are to both customers and community.
While the “guys and gals in blue” can always be found helping communities across the state, we wanted to establish how the vehicles themselves help people navigate life’s greatest (and simplest) adventures. In partnership with Omni Advertising, we produced and directed a series of twenty-four broadcast commercials to flip the focus from the dealership teams to the customers themselves, and put the stories of real Californians in the driver's seat.
Honda’s helpfulness shows up in the everyday lives of their customers through the individual use of each vehicle. Each spot became more than an advertisement – the stories became testimonials to how a vehicle is not just a mode of transportation, but an essential collaborator in the unique and varied lifestyles of their customers in California.
Real Voices That Resonate
Authenticity was the cornerstone of this campaign. By using real people instead of actors, we could showcase genuine stories and convey unique honesty to the viewer — creating an immediate emotional connection.
Real people also brought specificity, realistically rooting our stories in the markets in which they would be broadcast. Each detail grounded our campaign in the local culture, allowing the audience to see their own neighborhoods, their own challenges, and their own rituals reflected back at them.
Arquell: When we first spoke with Arquell about his life in Long Beach, his deep commitment to his community stood out. We loved his perspective that his Honda (which he affectionately named “Devon”) helps him show up for his mom and brothers. His dedication to taking care of others became more clear when we found out he has hand-washed Devon once a week, every week, since he bought the car three years ago. Arquell’s pride in keeping his car spotless became a quiet, tangible metaphor for the care he puts into his family.
Meet Arquell (and Devon) here:
Josie: Upon meeting Josie, we knew that her story would stand out — her all-electric Honda Prologue fits the eco-conscious energy of SoCal residents (particularly when L.A. traffic is a well-known part of every Angelino’s story). We then discovered that her time in traffic is far from wasted — it’s spent crossing the city to visit her two brothers who live by the beach. What began as a story about an eco-conscious vehicle quickly evolved into something deeper: the bond between siblings and the way small moments can make a big city feel more connected.
See Josie reunite with her brothers here:
Maria: When Maria bought a Honda, she needed more than comfy seat cushions and reliable transportation. What she really needed was a respite during countless drives into the city from Ventura for her husband José’s cancer treatments. Now that José is cancer-free, her voice says it all: “The comfort of our Honda was helpful in the moments we needed comforting the most.”
Hear more from Maria here:
Owen: After wrapping another shoot in San Diego, our producer spotted someone nursing a stingray sting on the back of his Honda CR-V. His charm, even while wincing in pain, was undeniable – so we encouraged him to share his story through our client’s social media to be part of the campaign. Beyond transportation, Owen’s Honda was part of the family having been passed down from his grandmother. His car connected him to his family the way his board connects him with nature and the ocean.
Paddle out into the waves with Owen here:
These stories, along with twenty more, paint a well-rounded picture of life with a Honda in Los Angeles, San Diego, and beyond. Our heroes weren’t just “customers” – they were proof that “helpful” isn’t just a tagline. It describes Honda’s role as a place where personal stories happen, waiting in a driveway near you.
Life in 30 Seconds or Less
Here’s the tricky part: our subjects’ lives were rich, layered, and nuanced — but broadcast advertising allows 30 seconds (actually, only 22 to allow time if you count the car offer in the last 8). Our biggest challenge was distilling deep personal histories into a crisp 22 second spot without losing the heart of each person.
The solution? A tight, uniform framework to guide each subject’s story about how Honda makes their life better.
- How does their Honda help them broadly?
- How does it tie into the local lifestyle?
- What makes their story uniquely theirs?
For Arquell, the Accord was more than just a car to keep clean—it symbolized how far he’s come and who he’s driving for.
For Josie, the Prologue wasn’t simply an eco-friendly way to cross the city—it was a bridge to her brothers.
For Maria, the Accord provided not only a comfortable ride but also emotional reassurance during a difficult time.
For Owen, the CR-V was more than transportation to the beach—it was a link to nature and a lasting connection to his grandmother.
Time limits don’t have to limit storytelling; they can actually force clarity, turning complexity into resonance. In just 22 seconds, we made space for stories that live far longer.
Driveways to Desert Highways
Because we were targeting a local audience, the where in these spots was just as important as the who. California is practically a character in its own right, so it was essential that we treated it as a scene partner.
Some stories worked best in literal driveways — spaces where you’d expect to find a Honda. We catch Maria and José in their home environment, heading out to their car. We see Arquell washing his car outside the garage, since the care of and for the car are literally and metaphorically close to home. We see how Josie can charge her EV at home, giving her all the fuel she needs to cross the city and see her brothers.
Others needed room to drive – like Owen and his surfboards at the beach. Stories that were not location specific allowed us to drop our heroes and their Hondas in front of backdrops that would enrich their story and plant them clearly on California soil.
Willie was an avid collector of Hot Wheels, but even more specifically Honda Hot Wheels — with a collection well into the hundreds (including, of course, a replica of his own Honda Civic Type R). After making a custom toy parking garage, the natural next step was to place him, his toys, and his story on top of an actual parking garage surrounded by the skyscrapers of DTLA.
Ashlyn’s story highlighted the relationship with her 3-year-old daughter Margeaux—expanding her daughter’s horizons, discovering new parts of the city together. To bring that vision to life, we turned the overlook above the Hollywood Bowl into our own private set, letting the sunrise over the LA skyline light our scene. With the skyline stretched endlessly behind them and their Honda, every shot reinforced the idea that her daughter’s future is boundless.
Ryan, new to San Diego, is finding his footing after joining a local softball team. To spotlight his Honda as more than just transportation, but a vehicle for connection,we drove it right onto the diamond. At Balboa Park, we captured both how many new friends could pile in and how many new memories could take shape as the sun set on their game.
Each location was more than a backdrop, it was a co-star, grounding the Honda story in the unmistakable textures of the West Coast.
Helpful isn’t just a slogan – it’s a core value that unfolds differently for every local Honda owner. Through these stories, Shuttershot, alongside agency partner Omni Advertising, helped the SoCal and San Diego Honda Dealers drive their message home to viewers across the state by showing how a car isn’t just helpful in practice, but in the small, deeply personal ways that matter most.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about the car. It’s about the life you live in it.
