Honda launched projectdrivein.com as the central hub of the #SaveTheDrivein movement. Visitors could vote for drive-ins to receive one of five Honda-donated digital projectors. A mini-documentary, screened online and at drive-ins, helped explain the problem and encouraged people to get involved by contributing to the “Save the Drive-In” Fund and helping spread the word via Facebook or Twitter. We made sharing easy by providing a toolkit with posters, flyers, digital badges, and a PR how-to. To continue raising awareness and contributions, we also hosted pop-up drive-ins at Honda dealerships nationwide, and a Twitter Vine auction with film critic Leonard Maltin.

Project Drive-In succeeded in gaining mass awareness, generating over 867 million earned impressions. There were 3.6M site visitors, 2.6M votes cast, and over 379,600 social shares. A number of influential celebrities (Wes Craven, Kristen Bell), media outlets (NBC Nightly News, USA Today), and even other brands (Cheerios, AutoTrader) joined the cause. Over $55,000 was raised through a “Save the Drive-In” crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Most important, between Honda-donated projectors, community fundraising and corporate donations, 27 drive-ins have been saved so far. The fundraising effort continues, with reports of more converting in 2014.

Drive-in movie theaters are a classic part of American car culture. At the end of 2013, many of the remaining 400 faced closure with Hollywood's switch from film to digital projection. Drive-ins operate on a very low profit margin, making an $80,000+ upgrade to digital projection a prohibitive cost for a small-town theater. So Honda launched Project Drive-In, using its power and resources to spark a national conversation about the problem and start a movement to save as many of these historical icons as possible.

The strategy was simple: Although American Honda manufactures 90% of their vehicles in the U.S., many don’t see the brand as “American.” Project Drive-In was an opportunity to connect with small-town communities, typically a stronghold of domestic manufacturers, by preserving a nostalgic part of Americana. All while putting one of Honda’s founding values into action – acting like a company society wants to exist.