The phone call felt like an early scene from Mission Impossible—the hero gets assigned a covert operation with a ticking clock, challenging odds, and the need to go "dark" with no room for error.
We chose to accept. (Well, obviously!) Cue theme music.
2018 was a milestone year for Honda Powersports with the release of their massively redesigned flagship touring motorcycle, the Gold Wing, and they were driven to ensure that all North American dealerships were properly educated prior to delivery to their showrooms. To make that happen, Vreeke & Associates Agency invited Point Light to capture supplemental B-roll of two of the only existing Gold Wing prototypes in the world, quietly housed in Honda's headquarters in Torrance, CA, and to complete the editing of key training videos that would introduce the bike's impressive new specs.
Important notes regarding product video:
- 97% of marketers say video has helped users gain a better understanding of their products and services (Hubspot).
- 59% of executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video (wordstream).
- Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text (Insivia).
The catch: Three weeks to build a series of videos from scratch (with a HUGE negative impact on dealerships, and ultimately sales, if not completed successfully) for a Fortune 500 company. No pressure!
The Vreeke team, long-time leaders in powersports advertising and promotion (think household names like Dunlop tires, Arai helmets, etc.), oversaw the writing process in the early stages by tackling a mass of technical minutia and shaping it into a clear structure. In the meantime, Point Light sifted through roughly 6-8TB of 4K promotional footage and supplemental content that would be edited in the final week and later incorporated into Honda's learning management system.
Personally, I got to return to my childhood for these few weeks, since posters of Gold Wings, superbikes, and fighter jets adorned my bedroom walls as a kid. Now, decades later, I had the opportunity to merge my gifting for film/video and my interest in powersports together! And I'm humbled by the thought that we were invited to help Honda continue the Gold Wing story for a new generation.
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In the end, the training staff at Honda worked tirelessly to get us what we needed, and the Vreeke team masterfully managed the mass of writing and data so we could all cross the finish line together.
There was no ticker tape parade. No celebration with a spray of champagne. It didn't matter. The satisfaction that we delivered on time with excellence was enough.
Reviews of the training immediately received high praise from dealerships around the country, confirming that we had succeeded in supporting one of Honda's most important cycle launches in recent history!
A project manager at Honda of America emailed us soon after the Gold Wing went public with some really encouraging words:
I enjoyed working with you and certainly appreciate your energy displayed to make it happen with the short deadlines we encountered. I have to tell you,... The training received many compliments. Thank you.
—John
Just like that, we faced the clock, beat the odds, protected secrets, and delivered as promised.
Now, onto the next eye-opening project...
