Honda CR-Z Sets Off on European Video Tour 'Live Every Litre' [Video]

A new video promoting the Honda campaign, "Live Every Litre," has been released by the automaker's European division.  It currently features no obvious scenes in Europe, with all locations apparently being in the United States.

"Live Every Litre" is a collaborative project between Honda and Swiss filmmaker Claudio Von Planta.  Von Planta, the man behind Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's Long Way Round motorcycle series, wants to put real people behind the wheel of the CR-Z on their own road trip.

Cameras, mounted around the car, will record the entire trip.  The footage will then be edited into a feature-length film.  The trip will take place in May, shortly before the CR-Z European market launch.

The promotional video, shot from the perspective of the driver, begins in the garage of a typical American subdivision.  The driver embarks on a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type of road trip, ultimately winding up at a crossroads in California's Lucerne Valley.

Those wanting to participate in the project may sign up at www.liveeverylitre.com.


Live Every Litre with the Honda CR-Z

Honda Motor Europe is today launching ‘Live Every Litre', a project that takes the all-new CR-Z sporty hybrid car directly to consumers across Europe. The car will be rigged with cameras to record the experiences of participants as they embark on journeys or challenges around Europe. Award-winning, Swiss-born filmmaker, Claudio Von Planta, will also film their adventures to create a unique documentary.

The CR-Z will be followed by Claudio and his team as the participants travel to the event, experience or during the drive they have always wanted to make. Their reactions, emotions and experiences will be captured by state of the art cameras and edited into a feature film of the journey. The documentary will capture the unique stories of this diverse and exciting group of individuals who campaigned for the chance to be involved in this ground-breaking project.

The event takes place during May before the CR-Z goes on sale, giving the public unprecedented access to the world's first 6-speed manual hybrid. The event will provide an opportunity for people across Europe to see, and for the lucky participants to experience, the perception altering coupe. The new sporty hybrid lends itself to such a task, as Honda Motor Europe, Senior Vice President, Ken Keir explains: "We feel the CR-Z is the perfect car for this social media activated campaign because it combines low emissions, with an entertaining driving experience. The ability to tailor the car‘s dynamics to the situation with the 3-mode drive system in the CR-Z, means the stars of our film will enjoy themselves in town, or on the open road."

To have a chance of taking part in this ground-breaking social media driven event hopefuls will need to log on to www.liveeverylitre.com where they can outline the type of journey, challenge or drive on which they wish to take the CR-Z. These experiences are totally generated by the user who may want to propose to their girlfriend in Paris, take their band to play a charity gig, trace their ancestry to find a long lost relative or simply drive the road they've always dreamed of.

Once they have submitted their application they can promote their experience online via social media channels of their choice. Through the Live Every Litre website they will be able to download widgets to promote their application to friends, family, colleagues and wider communities. The Director will work with an independent panel of bloggers joining our campaign team to choose the final cast, based on the community's favourite and most highly rated auditions.

Honda has torn up the rule book with Live Every Litre, as Laura Price, PR Executive, at Honda Motor Europe explains: "Live Every Litre is going to give those who consume media online the chance to do something unique and different. We hope to give people the opportunity to fulfil long held ambitions and experience something they can't in everyday life. A large portion of this campaign will be ‘crowd sourced', with participants and the online community moulding the final outcome, and that is what makes it such an exciting project."

The route and journeys which will become part of the Live Every Litre project will not be decided until all the potential participants have submitted their dream on the website, and the community has cast their votes. Applications open immediately and close on 19 March 2010, with the trip beginning in May, and fans will be able to watch the adventures unfold live on the Live Every Litre website.

ENDS

A few words from our director, Claudio Von Planta: I'm a passionate documentary filmmaker with more than 20 years of freelance experience. I'm probably best known for filming LONG WAY ROUND and LONG WAY DOWN where I followed the actors Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman on motorbike journeys around the world and across Africa.

Besides the adventure entertainment, I'm particularly proud about some of my more difficult current affairs films - maybe less fun to watch, but they won me prestigious recognition. SURVIVING SUDAN - a report about the plight of Darfur refugees earned an Emmy nomination for best long format investigative documentary in 2006. LIVING WITH AIDS won the One World Media Award 2006 for best broadcast journalist and was a finalist for best TV documentary.

More information about my background can be found on my website: http://www.vonplanta.net

I'm thrilled about the new possibilities of publishing videos over the internet. It goes beyond television because it offers fascinating networking possibilities on an unprecedented global scale.

 

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 EDavis EDavis
"...with all locations apparently being in the United States." Notice that the domicileless homo hominus appearing in the video at 2:42 and in picture #1 is using a sign that not only employs properly spelled and legible English but also indicates knowledge regarding a future direction of travel. These are indeed some very unusual character traits for an American descendent of the species, especially for one not being held in captivity. Perhaps this is a small indication that at least that part of the video was not filmed in the U.S., despite the fact that the creatures' habitat looks a hell of a lot like a small town in Arkansas. Oh yes, the car; Were the designers of the CR-Z in any way inspired by an [aesthetically challenged] Accord returned to Honda fresh from its NHTSA rear-end collision test?
February 4, 2010 8:28 pm
 sub39h sub39h
Scirocco is better looking. So is the Megane 3dr
February 4, 2010 8:50 pm
 DeleteThisAccount DeleteThisAccount
The Scirocco can also be had with a fuel efficient TSi which renders the hybrid technology rather useless in this niche. Still, I think there's a market for this car, but like you I am unclear as to which demographic will be included in it. Ultimately, I think that's the biggest problem here.
February 5, 2010 9:29 am
 SpeakSense SpeakSense
Well at least you didn't have to see that hideous gawping front end. Is it just me or is this car irrelevant to all markets except the US? Yes Sirocco TDi or any French supermini or C-sector car will be much more efficient and a damn site less frightful to look at.
February 5, 2010 12:05 am
 Mikeado Mikeado
Are you allowed to make up a story or does it have to be true?
February 5, 2010 7:33 am
 moodyaaa moodyaaa
ugly exterior, not bad interior with some ugliness.
February 5, 2010 1:17 pm