Published: August 3, 2023
Writers: Honda
Honda is partnering with 88rising – the pioneering global music and media company representing the best of Asian music talent in America – to create memorable experiences for music fans, while providing 88rising’s breakthrough artists a larger platform to pursue their dreams.
Honda and 88rising will celebrate the culture and creativity of the Asian American community at the 88rising Head in the Clouds Music and Arts Festival Aug. 5-6 in Pasadena, California. Fans attending the festival will enjoy exclusive experiences and epic performances, including the “Honda Double Happiness” stage lineup of Stephanie Poetri, Spence Lee, Lyn Lapid, Phum Viphurit, Eyedress, Grentperez and Akini Jing.
As official automotive partner of Head in the Clouds, the “88 Type R Honda Customs Shop” festival activation is a unique take on the tuner car garage, featuring a 2000 Civic Si project car and the all-new 2023 Honda Civic Type R – the most powerful Honda production vehicle ever sold in the U.S.
The “88 Type R Honda Customs Shop” at Head in the Clouds also is an exclusive merch shop that will showcase the new Honda X 88rising limited-edition apparel capsule, “88 Type R.” Festival attendees will be able to preview and shop the full “88 Type R” capsule, a unisex collection that includes cut-and-sew pieces inspired by the late 90’s to early 00’s of the Asian car culture scene. Drop 1 of the “88 Type R” collection will launch August 5 exclusively at Head in the Clouds and online.
“Honda’s support of music and young breakthrough artists spans more than two decades, and our partnership with 88rising will give voice to their stories of imagination and determination,” said Phillip Lee, media department lead, Honda Marketing. “88rising elevates and empowers Asian artists and Honda is proud to provide a platform to help support their dreams and advance their careers.”
Honda began collaborating with 88rising since 2022, with the launch of the all-new HR-V compact SUV. Honda and 88rising also released a docu-series featuring 88rising Indonesian singer-songwriter NIKI, Indonesian rapper Warren Hue and Chinese-American independent artist mxmtoon, sharing a look inside the career journeys of each artist and the challenges they faced along the way. In 2023, the docu-series featuring Warren Hue was honored by the Shorty Awards with a Gold Honor. Most recently, Honda and 88rising thrilled fans of the 2023 New York Head in the Clouds Festival with performances by Raveena, Atarashii Gakko!, Spence Lee, Wolftyla and Knock2 on the Honda Double Happiness Stage.
“88rising’s mission is to celebrate Asian creatives,” said Jason Ve, senior vice president of brand partnerships, 88rising. “We’re appreciative of our partnership with Honda, as it puts a spotlight on the most exciting artists and allows us to share their stories with the world.”
Music connects Honda with new, younger car buyers from the Honda Civic Tour, which will soon launch its 22nd year, to premier music festival partnerships, exclusive online music programming, performances and artist interviews. The Honda lineup of gateway models includes Civic, the number one vehicle among Millennial buyers, capturing the most Gen Z, first-time and multicultural buyers in the industry, and HR-V, America’s most popular SUV with first-time, Gen-Z, Millennial and Hispanic buyers.
Commentary
I’ve always found these kinds of partnerships curious because of how contrasting the markets can be. The connection seems to be that Honda is a Japanese company and wants to promote the younger generations through musical expression and creative social events. For 88rising, Honda is a way for them to gain money, promotion, and new audiences for a variety of artists. For Honda, this partnership represents the inclusion and exploration of the next generation of drivers. Honda knows that in 10 years, their main target is going to be Gen Z and Gen Alpha, so why not start gauging them through large events like this? And get event goers excited about new, fast, and cool cars that Honda is putting out like the Civic Type R? In terms of applying this to my project, I’m curious of Honda is looking into a partnership with curbside pickup retailers for potential innovation and future projects. How can both Kroger and Honda benefit from designs we create? Who is the next audience we should be anticipating?
