It's interesting to see how our favorite little car is marketed to different countries around the world. Here in the states it's all about dark and sinister heroism. In Japan, well...

 

Looks about right. Check out that teepee!

As it turns out, I rarely see men driving Fits on the roads of Austin, so maybe the dark and sinister ads are just trying to lure in young buyers while the salespeople at the dealership are showing off the space and gas mileage to would-be Accord buyers on a budget and tall civic customers.

 

YouTube - Honda Jazz commercial funny

 

Why can't it be both?!
Just got my Fit about two weeks ago and am loving it. This forum has also been extremely helpful with tips. Thanks Fit Freaks!

 

It's NOT just The Fit. I've read articles and seen other cars (The Prius) and in Japan they are actively trying to market to appeal to young japanese women. It is interesting because I would say most marketing in The US is still aimed at Men and Young Men. In Japan they are trying to get young women interested in automobiles and car ownership and they aren't afraid to use a really feminine approach. Presenting the car as almost a fashion accessory. In Japan, that translates into painting the vehicle pink and sometimes covering it in cutesy stickers.

I only hope this type of advertising doesn't catch on in The US. Not that I'm insecure in my manhood BUT I really wouldn't want a series of Ads with Pink Fits.....

I like The Fit, I actually think it looks agressive and sporty (with admittedly a "cool" touch of geeky) but if they started to fill the road ways in Pink?

Well, I'd rather not think about it....

 

lol teepee!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

 

I don't even understand what they mean by "She's Special Book" or "Vivi"????

Neat looking AD, though. Colorful and Mattel "Barbie-like".

In Iraq they market the Fit by showing how easy it is to blow up with a car bomb. Headlights make a great projectile, and with the Fit's low profile it will cut you off at the knees.

 

Marketing is aimed at women for the simple reason that in many families, the woman controls the purse. Admittedly, I think I'm almost the only man I've seen driving a Fit around here except for our drummer, who drives a GD.

Heck, I see lots of women riding Harleys around here, and I don't feel that my manhood is threatened by it.

 

Haha I saw 3-4 chicks driving Harleys the other day. I thought the same thing. I am no big biker fan and would take the fit cruise over a bike any day. I see a lot of older men and chicks driving fits. Ran into a couple Fitfreakers in Iowa and chatted for a good 30 mins. I do not feel its a chick car at all. Its my car/truck/van. Since I have never felt the need to own a truck or a van, but like small cars this works great! Manhood is not what you drive, thats in your pants

 

Oh, I've lived long enough that my manhood isn't threatened by what someone might think of The Fit either. I don't really care.

Having said that? A few women have seen my car and called it "cute" and I'd be lying if I did not admit that way back in my supressed subconcious I don't particularly like someone calling my car..."cute". But do I care? Not really.

 

883 is the designated Girl-Harley!

My fit has an NPR bumper sticker. Once I add a "My other car is a TARDIS" decal, it will be a full-on geek magnet.

 

Dealers in the Seattle area seem to market the Fit as an inexpensive commuter car to people not able to afford a Civic. At least that's the way it seems to me. The usual first question I get is "How much mileage does it get?" The Fit, the Versa, and the Yaris, as well as the Prius, (dispite the $10k price difference.), are considered work cars. There are other cars that might fall into that discription, but those four are the ones I see on the road the most. Gender does not seem to be an issue.

 

no lie, if they had sold the pink color in the US, I would've bought it.



just imagine it SLAMMED on some sick wheels...

darker more neon pinkish, but still hot

 

Going way back, the original Mustang was a six cylinder "secretary's car" until Ford realized it had a hit on its hands that sold to all demographics and added performance options. I still remember pink ones sold in 1967.

Going even further back to the 1950's, Buick, Dodge and Cadillac, all big, powerful "macho" cars, came out with special pink editions for the ladies.

 

if we had those "JDM" colors you see on the fit in Gran Turismo 4, i'd have a tough time deciding between burgundy, pink, light green, pearl white, baby blue, or lavender.

 

I was thinking the same thing about that ad. It looks like it would be for the Barbie Dream Fit.

I mostly see women behind the wheel of Fits around here too. But not by a huge majority. One other FF'er is in my local area, and his VBP is lowered nicely. (turboscabortion, I believe is his username). And I can't understand Honda's decisions on color selection. I know the pink may not have been a huge seller, but why not yellow? There are a ton of yellow Aveos in my area, and I probably would've gone for yellow myself had it been available. I love my NHB, but yellow would sell well.

I wish color palates were still like the 1950's and 1960's with the huge variety you could get. You could easily get fifteen or twenty different colors back then, and that doesn't count the two-tones. That Germanic looking blue/gray shade that's out right now from Chevy would look great on the Fit.

Anyway, the Nash Metropolitan was a good example of a car marketed specifically to women. The ads basically described it as being a stylish driveable shopping cart. Serious. The Nissan Pulsar was also marketed more toward women than men.

And then there's the Subaru Forester. Martina Navratilova was the first spokes-person for that car. Talk about niche marketing.

 

Funny you say that. My mom wants to find an old Nash Metro. for the longest time. Its a toss up between the Nash and the volvo p1800 for her.

But you are right. I do think that yellow would really sell if they had it in this country.

 

I hadn't seen a Metro in years in person until last week. Saw a guy driving one in Lowell on Bridge St. It was salmon and white, and from my vantage point, looked mint. Those p1800's are pretty cool too.

 

I had a yellow 91 Honda crx si in yellow... was beautiful and there were plenty of people who bought that color.

Yellow would have been a nice color. Honda Fits don't need a lot of different blues.

 

I have yet to see one, esp. mint. She wants the classic teal/white. The other day i eating lunch and a mint red p1800 drove by. THing looked gorgeous.