Honda x iphone App – This Unpredictable Life

by Mike    No Comments

Honda have always produced outstanding fantastic car adverts and this time they have come up trumps for their latest TV spot for the Honda Jazz adopting a new technique they have dubbed as ‘screen-hopping’ involving a specially engineered iphone app.

Viewers can watch the beautifully rendered animation and ‘catch’ the animated characters as they appear on screen. The free-to-download iPhone App (called ‘Honda Jazz – This Unpredictable Life’, available from The iTunes Store) will give viewers the chance to actively collect up to seven characters and objects that feature in the TV ad, as they seemingly ‘hop’ from TV screen, computer or another iPhone onto the user’s device. Users can then interact with each of the stars of the film, for example, a toy space monkey can be made to dance by singing into your phone. Although it’s admirable using cutting edge tech in your marketing, I wonder if it’s alienated non-iphone users?

How does it work?

The ‘Screen Hopping’ experience uses advanced audio recognition technology to sync the app with the advert’s soundtrack, allowing the user to interact with what’s happening in the ad in real time.

This is the first app that allows characters from a commercial to transfer across to another device for them to be interacted with.

Previous attempts in this field have used Augmented Reality markers and QR codes, both of which demand a high degree of involvement from the user. This app, on the other hand, is constantly “listening” to the commercial, thus giving the user a more interactive and ‘magical’ experience. The app has been designed to be able to work with the film playing back on any device, including via a PC or even a second iPhone with the app installed.

Seven to collect!

Viewers with fast reactions and a sharp eye will be able to ‘catch’ and play with up to four characters from the ad, each one with its own fun and engaging attributes, including:

• An evolving pet with a beautiful trail; shake your phone to choose the Rabbit, Cat or Parrot
• A playful Puppy that chases its own tail in different directions when you tickle his nose or tail
• A Space Monkey that pulls some crazy dance moves when you sing or play music into the phones microphone
• A Baby Balloon Head that lights up like a hot air balloon inflating when you blow into the bottom of the phone

Additionally, there are three mystery objects to be caught in the Vortex scene:

• A Lucky Cat that swings its arm for good luck when you tap it
• A Drum Kit that plays when you bang it
• A Monkey with symbols that crash when you tap it

I’ve downloaded the app and managed to catch only 5 out of the 7, so it’s not easy! How many can you get?

Watch the advert

Download the iphone App