Honda Introduces OneDOWNSmanship

Innovators in cars, motorcycles, and advertising

Honda used many unique techniques in their advertising campaigns over the years. For example in the 1950s, at a time when when motorcycles were often associated with bikers and lawlessness, Honda began their “You meet the nicest people on a Honda!” campaign, complete with pictures of Santa Claus riding a Honda scooter. Honda often finds interesting ways to promote the strengths of their vehicles in their ads.

Another groundbreaking advertisement campaign Honda had in the 1970s introduced the concept of “OneDOWNSmanship” to consumers.

This print advertisement from 1974 begins by discussing “oneupsmanship,” which doesn’t mean just keeping up with the Jonses, but constantly outdoing them. When your neighbor takes an expensive vacation, you take an even more expensive one! When your neighbor buys a fast car, you buy a faster one!

After that, Honda flips the script by introducing the concept of “onedownsmanship.” Honda suggests that when your neighbor takes an expensive vacation to Acapulco, a smarter choice is to save some money by visiting the zoo and a Mexican restaurant instead. And, Honda suggests, when your neighbor buys a brand new muscle car, instead of buying a bigger, faster car, the winning move is to purchase a Honda Coupe.

While your neighbor is racing around town in his new muscle car, picking up chicks and squealing his tires at every intersection, you can putt-putt around town in a Honda Coupe, which gets up to 40 miles per gallon. Won’t your neighbor be jealous when he finds out how much money you’ve saved on gas, cruising around town in a compact car that can barely do the speed limit?

The final paragraph explains that by saving money and driving a Honda Coupe, onedownsmanship actually becomes oneupsmanship. It’s an interesting concept, and one I wouldn’t mind trying… right after I buy that new sports car.