Acura engineers have a unique philosophy on automotive safety. They don’t simply design vehicles to meet government standards; they build them to be safe enough for their own families. It is this belief that shapes Acura’s approach to vehicle development, and leads them to consistently deliver vehicles that exceed the industry’s safety benchmarks.

To illustrate this, we reimagined a well-trodden convention of safety communications — the crash test. In “The Test” we showcased how Acura engineers approach safety testing differently — with empathy and humanity, not just scientific rigor. Rather than demonstrate our vehicles’ capabilities, the spot shows the perspective of an Acura engineer who sees his crash test dummies as representative of his own family as he prepares a test.

Safety is a well-worn promise of luxury automakers. Many of Acura’s key competitors — such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi — have been promoting their vehicles’ safety for decades before Acura was founded.

These brands have so effectively communicated safety that consumers have come to associate tier-one luxury with safer vehicles. So, despite Acura having industry leading safety scores across its entire line up, it’s mid-tier price has lead to mid-tier safety perceptions amongst consumers.

Our safety communications needed to both communicate Acura’s safety record as well as elevate the brand. To do this, we leveraged a common cliché in the crash test — a familiar tool of luxury labels — to change the conversation around safety, deposition competitive communications and shift consumers’ perceptions of Acura.