Honda's CR-V: The Intertextual Ferrari of 2012

In Honda’s 2012 Super Bowl advertisement of the car company’s redesigned CR-V model, Matthew Broderick reprises a role similar to that of the title character he played in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Beginning with Broderick pretending to call in sick in order to excuse himself from a day of work, the advertisement features a stream of scenes showing the actor’s action-packed “day off” in his CR-V. Closely-mimicking iconic clips from the movie, each of these scenes makes use of explicit intertextuality through duplication and distinction strategies; combined, these techniques generate a sense of relatability for the car’s young, fun-loving target consumers. With so many narrative similarities to the original movie, the Honda advertisement is a blatant example of the duplication strategy, which “uses explicit intertextuality directly as a functional, motivated and engaging part of the narrative structure." However, unlike many other uses of the strategy, the advertisement’s replicational consistency places emphasis on its few key differences: the production of the CR-V as a stylish, youthful vehicle (instead of the film’s Ferrari GT California), the setting in Los Angeles (rather than the film’s location in Chicago), and the fact that Broderick played himself as an adult actor, as opposed to having a teen attempt to recreate the movie’s high-school aged titular character.

Each of these differences serve to place the CR-V in a more realistic perspective for the company’s target customers, who value the sense of freedom shown in the movie, yet are also likely to relate to Broderick’s portrayal of himself as a fun-loving, working adult. Likewise, the CR-V’s advertisement management team centered the car’s campaign around the concept of “making a list of things you want to do before the things you have to do." In the context of the advertisement, this list of possibilities is afforded by the practical design of the CR-V. Therefore, the intertextual usage of the film is equally representative of the distinction strategy, which recognizes the connection between media works enjoyed by particular groups of individuals and the public image or lifestyle they value. Haastrup explicitly describes the linkage between car choice and individual preferences when defining this strategy: “Like the car we drive, the clothes we wear, and the way we have decorated our home, [the media we choose] are part and parcel of the way we present ourselves to others." Hence, by merging the CR-V with the film’s emphasis on “seizing the day,” the advertisement aims to create association between the car and an action-packed, yet lighthearted lifestyle. While the advertisement’s use of the distinction strategy generated mostly-positive reception from the consumer market, some critics believed that the strategy was poorly executed; the CR-V used in place of the film’s Ferrari does not convey the thrill-appeal of the aforementioned sportscar. This inconsistency would be concerning if the advertisement was designed to replicate the film’s dreamlike sense of carefree abandonment, but this is clearly not the case according to one of Honda’s advertising executives: “A real person skipping work and having an adventure fit in with the campaign and the Honda brand better, rather than trying to recreate the Ferris Bueller character." For this reason, the advertisement’s differences are designed to place the outlandish adventures of the movie within a more realistic context for the audience. Though the film’s goal is purely to entertain, the aim of the commercial is to help consumers positively visualize themselves with the product. Consequently, the duplication and distinction strategies are simultaneously used to impart both practical and effervescent regard from the film’s free-spirited fans.