This inspiring Honda spot–directed by Rupert Sanders of MJZ for agency RPA–is the centerpiece of the “Unstoppable Dreams” campaign which brings to life the brand’s “Challenging Spirit” and the idea that resounding success is often the result of failures. The :60 follows the distinctive journeys of competitors with strong ties to Honda as they pursued their racing ambitions, including the late F1 racing legend Ayrton Senna and current FIA Formula 1® World Champion Max Verstappen.
The cinematic spot deploys an engaging reverse poem format, so what begins as a disheartening story about failure and giving up reverses course to showcase how personal setbacks can serve as the greatest teacher and catalyst to achieve big dreams.
The “Unstoppable Dreams” film features iconic Honda race machines including the 1992 Formula 1® winning McLaren Honda MP4/7A driven by Senna and the FIA Formula 1® championship 2021 Red Bull Racing Honda RB16B driven by Verstappen, as well as exciting forthcoming products including the Honda hybrid-electric Prelude Concept and the Honda eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft). The “Unstoppable Dreams” tells a story about how the starting point of achieving success is how one responds to failure.
“Unstoppable Dreams” made its TV debut earlier this week on NBC’s Sunday Night Football and will continue to air during NFL and college football games, and the opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season. The campaign also will be featured on the big screen this fall, at theaters across America during major movie premiere releases, and on Netflix’s ad-supported plan in the U.S., for the highly anticipated series Senna.
Credits
Client American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Agency RPA, Santa Monica, Calif. Joe Baratelli, EVP/chief creative officer; Ken Pappanduros, SVP/group creative director; Sarah May Bates, VP/creative director; Max Wang, Craig Ross, associate creative directors; Selena Pizarro, SVP/director, video production; Ryan Radley, executive producer; Cami Ramseyer, assistant producer. Production Company MJZ Rupert Sanders, director; Alex Fisch, exec producer; Adriana Cebada Mora, line producer; Steve Annis, DP; Todd Thompson, 1st AD; Lori Hoffman, production manager. Production Services Kinema, Mexico City Jose Ludlow, CEO; Dalia Sierra Corona, VP of production/line producer; Lola Ovando, production supervisor; Gina Vallejo, production coordinator; Dante Casas, unit production manager; Arturo Garcia, 1st AD; Christian Salvatierra, photographer. Offline Editorial Arts Academy Peter Wiedensmith, editor; Carolina Padilla Towery, exec producer; Jessica Mann, producer; Charlee Mackee, assistant editor. VFX House of Parliament Phil Crowe, VFX supervisor; Tom Bardwell, VFX supervisor/creative lead; Henrie Thompson, Scott Boyajan, Will Jellicorse, production. Title Sequence Elastic Benjamin Woodlock, creative director; Sky Bird, designer; Laura Reedy, Lucy Kim, Trix Taylor, animators; Amy Lee-Suits, producer; Paul Makowski, head of production; Kate Berry, exec producer; Eve Kornblum, managing director. Color Company 3 Tom Poole, colorist; Dustin Wadsworth, assistant colorist; Kevin Brehemy, head of production. Audio Post Lime Studios Dave Wagg, audio mixer/sound designer; Matthew Conzelmann, assistant audio mixer; Susie Boyajan, exec producer. Voiceover John Cena Music “Ascension,” licensed track; Rob Simonsen, Duncan Blickenstaff, composers.
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
