Honda is targeting esports fans with a 2022 Honda Civic reveal on Twitch. It will be the first time a car manufacturer has unveiled a product this way.
The livestream will take place on November 17th on Honda’s Head2Head Twitch channel. There, viewers will get the world’s first glimpse at the 11th generation Civic in its prototype form.
“A digital-first reveal is a perfect way to connect with gamers on their turf,” said Phil Hruska, Manager of Media Strategy at American Honda Motors.
Honda has a long history of partnering with the video games industry to promote its product to first-time car buyers.
“Over the past two years, we’ve gone even further than just putting our vehicles in racing games,” said Hruska during a private press event that Esports Insider attended. Reaching gamers is “critically important to the Honda brand,” he added.
Honda is currently the only automotive partner in North America to sponsor both an esports team (Team Liquid) as well as the league the team competes in (League of Legends Championship Series (LCS)). It is also the only auto brand with a branded gaming channel on Twitch.
Social media allows for real-time interaction with target audiences — namely first-time car buyers under the age of 35. Honda’s Head2Head Twitch channel is entering its third season of battle-royale-style streaming competitions. The stream will feature a competition between the “top four” Fornite players and the “top four” Twitch streamers. Participants listed include Benjyfishy, Bugha, MrSavage, Jordan Fisher, Dakotaz, and ChicaLive.
The 2022 Honda Civic reveal event will combine the brand’s gaming initiatives with its music-based outreach, Honda Stage. Grammy-nominated recording artist, Cordae, who is also a gamer, will perform a live concert during the stream.
Anyone can tune into the 2022 Honda Civic reveal, which will also be streamed across its branded social media and the official website, but Hruska says that esports fans are the main target for this outreach.
“We have a strong connection with these fans already. They’re already fans of the Civic and we want to give them the first look at this very special new vehicle,” he said. “We know we’ll get other people who are interested [watching the reveal] but for us, it’s about outreach to this audience we’ve been building a relationship with and trying to give them something special.”
As of the press event on November 11th, Hruska said the 2022 Honda Civic reveal campaign will not be tied into the Honda MVP during LCS, nor the 2020 Honda Scouting Grounds, due to timing issues.