Honda Accord Crosstour - Squirrel - (2010) :30 (USA)

Airing during the fourth quarter, the 30-second spot features an animated squirrel with an insatiable
appetite for ?"squirreling away" all things cargo, set to the tune of "Funky Stuff" by Kool & The Gang. Squirrel is part of an integrated, multiplatform advertising campaign developed by Honda's long-standing agency of record, RPA, to support the vehicle launch.

"Our newest Accord Crosstour spot, 'Squirrel,' is intended to leverage media's largest stage to announce Honda?s newest entry into the world of next-generation, sporty, crossover vehicles," said Tom Peyton, senior manager, national advertising, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

"The style of the work really comes back to the Crosstour itself. It's a modern solution. It gives you a lot of storage, but it doesn't look or drive like other things out there. We wanted the visual style of the advertising to reflect this. So right away, you know that something new is going on here, said Pat Mendelson, SVP, creative director at RPA.

Spots air during high-profile, high-engagement network prime, sports and cable programming, including the championship game of the Bowl Championship Series on ABC, Super Bowl XLIV on CBS and the 2010 Winter Olympics on NBC.

On Jan. 1, branded entertainment in the form of custom-produced vignettes kicked off with a 90-second vignette during the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on NBC. The vignettes continue through January and co-promote the all-new Accord Crosstour and the return of NBC's Chuck. The story line of the vignettes began at the Winter Classic and follows a journey toward the Winter Olympics.

To leverage the target's heavy print readership, Accord Crosstour print appears in magazines across various categories, including the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Men"s Health, Time, Forbes and The Economist. In-theater begins in February and outdoor will be featured in more than 20 key markets during the spring.

Client: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Agency: RPA
EVP, CCO: David Smith
SVP, CD: Pat Mendelson
Senior Copywriter: Seth Prandini
VP, ACD/Art: Chuck Blackwell
SVP, Executive Producer: Gary Paticoff

Production: Elastic
Director: Andy Hall
DP: Bill Bennett
Live Action Producer: David Wolfson
Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall

Post Production
Design Studio: Elastic
Designers: Henry de Leon, Max Ulichney
VFX Studio: a52
CG Lead: Max Ulichney
3D Artists: Paulo de Almada, Ian Ruhfass, Kevin Culhane, Joe Chiechi, Angie Jones
Lead Compositor: Shahana Khan
Rotoscoping: Cathy Gochnour
Producer: Megan Meloth, Sarah Haynes
Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall

Music
Song: “Funky Stuff,” Kool and The Gang
Composers: Robert Bell, Ronald Bell, George Brown, Robert Mickens, Claydes Smith, Dennis Thomas, Richard Westfield
Publisher: Warner/Chappell Music Publishing
Label: Universal Music Enterprises