Civic - An extreme makeover

Honda was struggling to make a success of their Civic sedan after five years as an independent organisation in South Africa (Honda vehicles were previously manufactured and distributed by Mercedes).

Civic – An extreme makeover

John Laurence – DDB South Africa

1. INTRODUCTION

This document will explain how Honda South Africa and DDB South Africa worked together to take a product with a staid, conservative image and turned it into the hottest property in the C Sedan segment of the market. Not only did this change the way people viewed the brand, it resulted in a 445% year-on-year increase in sales and moved Honda into a new era of its history in South Africa.

2. THE BACKGROUND

2.1. Mercedes Benz to Honda South Africa

Prior to December 2000, Honda motor...

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