Epica d'Or 2004 (film)

The 2004 film Epica d’Or was won by Wieden + Kennedy London for the Honda "Grrr" commercial.

The "Grrr" commercial launched Honda’s first-ever diesel engine. For many years the company resisted diesels. Kenichi Nagahiro, Honda’s chief engine designer, quite literally hated diesels and only agreed to produce one if he could start from scratch. Nagahiro’s hatred inspired him to produce a better diesel engine – and inspired Wieden + Kennedy to produce "Grrr".

"Grrr" introduces the premise that hate can be a good thing. Throughout the film Garrison Keillor sings along to a strumming guitar about the joys of hate. And so it goes, "hate something, change something, make something better.."

The beautiful world of Hate, made up of lush green rolling hills, populated by fluffy bunnies, penguins and flamingos is invaded by flying dirty, spluttering, coughing, diesel engines. The engines reap havoc on the tranquil place. However, the animals get angry and get even. They use their hate for good, ganging up against the engines. The creatures bash them with baseball bats and mallets and blow them up with carrot tipped heat-seeking arrows. They destroy every last one.

In a grand finale the new Honda diesel engine is introduced. The animals celebrate the silent, clean machine as it wends its way through world of Hate. There is much joy from the assembled woodland creatures as they sing and dance in formation.

The animation was directed by the acclaimed Smith and Foulkes at Nexus.

The "Grrr" song was written, performed and whistled by the Wieden + Kennedy writers; Michael Russoff, Sean Thompson and Richard Russell, under the band name "Be Nice to the Pigeons". It was produced by Waddell and Parnell at Amber and the Sound Design was by Johnny Burn at Wave. The song has attracted the attention of Band Aid and could be released as a single.

The commercial was released in September, 2004, and immediately became a big hit with the public. It generated massive press coverage and is even being used as a teaching aid in drug rehabilitation clinics where the idea of using hate as a positive force to improve lives is particularly relevant.

The Honda film won a clear majority of the Epica jury’s votes on the first round of voting; the first time this has happened. The 2004 Epica d’Or is also the first award that the Honda "Grrr" commercial has won.

Inspired by Hate

by Lewis Blackwell

It may be a surprise to learn that this year’s Epica d"Or winning commercial was inspired not by love or money but by hate.

Its soundtrack, which, thanks to the spot’s massive viral success, is now hummed on streets around the world, is a cheerrful, mood-enhancing little number that, once heard, you can’t get out of your head: odd, then, that this catchy ditty grew out of a deep loathing. But it was indeed a profound dislike - of diesel engines, by Honda’s chief design engineer, Kenichi Nagahiro - that gave the creative team of Sean Thompson, Michael Rusoff and Richard Russell at Wieden + Kennedy London the idea as well as the product for their Grrr commercial.

Nagahiro had always hated noisy, smelly, dirty diesel engines but Europeans love them for their cost-efffectiveness and Honda had to compete with their own version. So Nagahiro set himself the formidable task of designing one that would be clean, quiet, efficient - and lovable. Hence the lyrics ("Hate something, change something, make something better..."), penned by the creative team. They wrote the music too and formed a band called Be Nice to the Pigeons to play their song which, by popular demand, is about to be released as a CD. It is sung by American writer and broadcaster Garrison Keillor, established as the voice of Honda by previous spots: his gruff but warm and lilting voice suits the sentiments of the song perfectly.

Knowing that hate had motivated their client to design a better product, Thompson and his colleagues decided to show how negative feelings could inspire change and give way to something positive. As a backdrop to this scenario, they created an idyllic fantasy world whose name, Hate, contrasts intriguingly with the happiness within: in this colourful paradise, cute and lovable rabbits, doves, flamingoes and other endearing creatures frolic in the sunshine. Until, that is, their peace is invaded by noisy, polluting diesel engines that splutter across the landscape, shattering the tranquillity, choking chickens and wiping the smile off the sun’s face.

The cuddly creatures retaliate with untypical violence: rabbits seize baseball bats and flamingoes wield mallets against these destructive invaders. As they pummel them into extinction, an exhortation to "Change something" appears on screen and Honda’s gleaming new diesel engines whoosh softly into view. "Isn’t it just bliss when a diesel goes like this," sings Keillor as peace and contentment is restored.

The meticulous realisation of the creative team’s fantasy world was based on a tight storyboard with detailed depictions of every rabbit, fish and flying engine.

The animation was carried out by directors Adam Foukes, Alan Smith and their team at London’s Nexus who worked virtually round the clock for almost six months to turn the fantastical world of "Hate" into visual reality: each split-second frame could take an entire day to render and changing a fragment of the sequence might be a week’s work. But the creative collaborators all clearly enjoyed the process and grew fond of the creatures inhabiting their dream world.

Recognition for the spot’s underlying philosophy has been even more rewarding than the widespread acclaim for its commercial creativity. Its most appreciative viewers include a South American drug addiction rehabilitation centre, who have appropriated the song for use in their education programme. And in Japan, its message rings true for the designer Nagahiro, who has succeeded in designing a diesel engine that he could love rather than hate.

Thompson, Russoff and Russell are not sure how it was done: "Something to do with a lighter aluminium engine and a special casing that reduces its sound," they think.

Meanwhile, the sound of their backing song humming round the world, reaches a crescendo.

Lewis Blackwell is the creative director of Getty Images, having previously been editor-in-chief of Creative Review for many years.