Nexus directors Smith & Foulkes‘ history with Honda is long and award-laden (we ran Honda “GRRR” on the cover of Stash 03 in Nov. 2004). This latest pair of spots, which break today thru agency RPA, finds the directing duo’s signature charm and gentle humor applied to the launch of the HR-V Crossover.

Smith & Foulkes: “It’s always fun to work on a Honda film as the scripts start from such an interestingly irreverent place, and we’ve been lucky enough to work on many of them through the years.

“The Give and Take film was an enjoyably oddball take on the idea of the search for perfect balance, using facial manipulation to show how people long for that elusive “perfection”, whereas with the HR-V you always get the ‘sweet spot’.”

“The idea behind the “Great Thinking Inside” film was to take a selection of cars from the Honda Hall of Fame and find entertaining ways for them to transition into each other, almost like Russian Dolls. It was important to stitch the cars together without losing the real physicality of the cars, or the momentum of the story.”

Post Production for “Give and Take” by MPC.
Post Production for “Great Thinking Inside” by Time Based Arts.

“Give and Take”

“Great Thinking Inside”

Client: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Agency: RPA
EVP, CCO: Joe Baratelli
SVP, ECD: Jason Sperling
VP, CD Copywriter: Ken Pappandurous
VP, CD Art Director: Chuck Blackwell
Sr. Copywriter: Paul Fung
Sr. Art Director: Marcella Coad
Copywriter (for “Great Thinking Inside”): Audrey Attal
Copywriter (for “Great Thinking Inside”): Forrest Boleyn
Copywriter (for “Give and Take”): Adam Gothelf
Art Director (for “Give and Take”): Michael Enriquez
SVP, Chief Production Officer: Gary Paticoff
VP, Executive Producer: Isadora Chesler
Producer: Matthew Magsaysay

VP, Director of Business Affairs: Maria Del Homme
SVP, Management Account Director: Brett Bender
VP, Account Director, National/Corporate Advertising: Jeff Moohr
VP, Management Supervisor: Cathy O’Gorman
Management Supervisor: Rose McRitchie
Account Supervisor: Patty Mira

Production Company: Nexus
Director: Smith & Foulkes
EP: Tracey Cooper
EP (for “Give and Take”): Jeremy Smith
Line Producer (for “Give and Take”): Max Fink
Production Manager (for “Great Thinking Inside”): Fernanda Garcia Lopez

Post Production (for “Great Thinking Inside”): Time Based Arts
Animators: Chris Wood and Sam Osbourne
Flame Artists: Mike Skrgatic, James Allen and Sheldon Gardner
3D Artists: Ben Cantor, Mike Battcock, Kristoffer Andersson, Poul Resen Steenstrup, Eva Kuehlmann and Simon Goodchild
Additional Grade: Simone Grattarola

Post Production (for “Give and Take”): MPC
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame: Benoit Mannequin
Flame: Vincent Blin
CG Lead/Lighting: Dameon O’Boyle
CG Lighter: Tim Kafta
CG artist: Clement Renaudin
Offline Editor: Billy Sacdalan
EP: Jo Arghiris
Senior Producer: Juliet Tierney
Producer: Jake Fenkse

Vehicle Scanning & Modeling: ACME Digital Content
Kevin Malling, Brandon Acree, Tyson Hill and John Wang

Music Supervision (for “Great Thinking Inside”): Squeak E Clean Productions, Inc.
Music Composer (for “Give and Take”): Squeak E Clean Productions, Inc.

Licensed Music Track (for “Great Thinking Inside”): “Gonna Build A Mountain”
Composers: Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley
Performed by: Sammy Davis Jr.
Label: Rhino Entertainment Company, A Warner Music Group Company

Sound Design: Factory
Sound Designer: Anthony Moore

Music For “Great Thinking Inside” :15’s: ANTFOOD
Mix & Sound Design: Lime Studios
Engineer: Mark Meyuhas
Assistant: Matt Miller
Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan

From the Stash Permanent Collection: Honda “Hate Something” (2004)