Honda – made in the UK

Honda's new TV ad focuses on its UK manufacturing

Car makers have had a torrid time in the last year or so. And the natural reaction has been to cut costs where they can. That has seen a downturn in the advertising budgets available to car makers, which in the end will be self-defeating. But there are signs that more advertising is coming on stream from car makers at the start of 2010.

A quick check in the Sundays this weekend saw more big car ads than for some time. And now it looks as if Honda has a few bob more to play with as they’re about to launch a new TV ad campaign in the UK.

The adverts are due to run from today on TV, but have already been running in cinemas showing James Cameron’s Avatar. So they’ve already had more than a view or two. But what’s interesting is that Honda – a Japanese Company – is focusing on the ‘Made in the UK’ angle.

There’s lots of attention to the wide range of products Honda makes, from ATVs to marine engines and from motorcycles to ASIMO (the humanoid robot featured recently on one of James May’s programmes). But the big focus is going to be on the Civic, which is built in Swindon along with the Jazz for Europe and the CR-V.

It’s certainly a sign of the changing car landscape that a Japanese car company is ‘Flying the Flag’ as a UK manufacturer.

By Cars UK