Fit crew: CG plays the lead role in a unique marketing campaign for Honda.(Broadcast)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Years ago, advertising campaigns for cars were about one thing, the vehicle. Today, the ads tend to focus on the experience the vehicle offers, with glimpses of the car, truck, or SUV as it traverses a picturesque landscape. However, when it came to devising a multimedia campaign for the Honda Fit, the creative team at advertising agency Rubin Postaer & Associates was determined to throw out tile car-commercial role book. After all, leaf covered roads, postcard-perfect mountains, and pure beauty shots just didn't "fit" the vehicle's brand.

"The agency wanted something uniquely stylized, and we wanted to push the boat out a bit," says Digital Domains Brad Parker, who, "along with Eric Barba, directed the spot. "They wanted us to create a really different look and step it up a notch or two."

And step it up they did. Rather than use live action or a photoreal approach, Parker and Barba used a highly stylized look created with computer graphics that places a 3D Honda Fit within surreal CG environments and scenes.

"We focused on making the spots original, unusual, and cool--which really set the tone for the brand," Parker says.

In fact, Parker and Barba have had a history of making "cool" ads for Honda, albeit as visual effects supervisors as opposed to directors. This time, they took on all those roles. "We had direct contact with the agency and the client, and could tailor the team to the vision we had." says Parker. "We had the freedom to come up with ideas, and we knew exactly how to execute them. Working with outside directors is great, but sometimes it is hard m know what they really want and where they want m go with something."

The overall concept of the campaign--which included three television and theatrical spots, along with elements for an interactive Web program--was to create a unique Fit universe. This meant that every object had to be conceptualized by the Digital Domain team and then brought to life. Yet, the three commercials contained very different ideas selling very different features of the same car. And all three had to have an extremely stylized look.