The return of Type S was a huge deal to Acura fans, and an important introduction to an entirely new generation. We wanted to bring them something more than what they’d come to expect. Rather than preach to them about the vehicles’ style, features, and high-performance specs, we wanted them to feel it and become part of the story by creating something entertaining that people would want to watch and share. This took the form of a fully realized four-episode anime series that told the story of our hero, Chiaki, but also the story of the Acura brand.

The Type S badge is reserved for only the highest performing vehicles in the Acura lineup. Despite its impact on the brand, in 2008, it was discontinued entirely. After more than a decade-long hiatus, it was time for a comeback and in 2022, Acura brought back Type S performance to its models. To introduce this iconic and storied performance variant to a new generation of drivers and enthusiast, the brief was simple in its complexity– tell the importance of the Type S story in a way that would stand out in the category where Acura had become nearly invisible, reignite brand loyalty Type S originally established, and resonate with a Millennial and Gen Z audience who have likely never even heard of Acura, let alone considered them.

Fast cars, racing, and rivalries—we developed an anime series to celebrate the return of Type S performance. But it wasn’t just about making an anime. We needed to reintroduce Type S performance to Acura diehards, but also, bring in a new generation of Millennials and Gen Zers who may have never heard of Acura. To do that, we needed a vessel for our idea that would resonate with these new attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyles. Through the power of authentic storytelling, we created a robust world that showcased SoCal, the birthplace of Acura, featured three new Type S vehicles, and introduced compelling characters who took us on their own journey, but who also mirrored the brand’s story. Through this, we were able to tell two stories: one, the thrilling story of Chiaki’s personal journey, and two, the story of the Acura brand, our racing heritage, and ambitions for the future.

We had one chance to stand out in the premium performance category dominated by German automakers. We knew making an impression on a new generation of drivers would be a lofty ambition, so we went back to our products for inspiration. Unlike others with spec sheets padded with seemingly impressive numbers, Acura Type S vehicles were carefully crafted with precision and the love of driving. With or without prior awareness of Type S, we knew our audience could appreciate the passion Acura poured into its well-engineered products–especially in a time when substance was harder to find. So we merged our brand story of craft with the passion our audience was seeking in life. And we presented it in a format that we knew would captivate our Millennial and Gen Z audience—anime.

Chiaki’s Journey spanned over a year of development time from creative concepting to delivery. The campaign was seen on a variety of mediums, including digital, social, cinema, and OOH. The media was strategically placed on a vast range of publications that were tailored towards anime lovers and video content platforms, as opposed to traditional auto advertising mediums. Digital media was placed across CrunchyRoll, YouTube, and G/O Media (which includes Kotaku, Jalopnik, The Takeout, Gizmodo and AV Club) as well as promoted through Sundance and IMDb channels. Out of Home executions included billboards in the top 4 DMAs for the brand (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Miami) placed in high-traffic locations, as well as through experiential events with the Sundance Film Festival and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Finally, a longform trailer was placed in cinema media across the same 4 DMAs to maximize exposure.

This campaign quickly became the most successful in Acura’s history. With 277MM video views and counting, 85% of viewers who watched episode 1, went on to watch the rest of the series. The campaign also scored a 93% appeal score vs. an average of 78% (Source: Hall & Partners Campaign Tracker) effectively lifting brand familiarity by 7 pts. brand favorability by 15 pts and brand consideration by 14 pts among those who said they had seen the campaign. Traffic to the Type S website increased by 150%, but it also made Acura famous beyond the automotive world, making headlines on websites like Forbes, Hypebeast, and Crunchyroll. In terms of brand perceptions, the campaign successfully lifted “brand I’d like to be seen driving” by 20 pts, “exhilarating to drive” by 13 pts, “integrity” by 10 pts, “leadership” by 10 pts and “approaches luxury in a new way” by 13 pts.