http://acurabrand.genex.com
Repeatedly positioned as a luxury line, Acura’s image had long been overshadowed by that of Honda. “We were tasked with elevating its brand image,” says art director Dylan Schwartz, “leveraging its legacy of high-performance engines, design aesthetics, and standard luxury amenities.”

The idea, titled “Our Inspiration,” was to highlight great historical accomplishments that inspired Acura, such as DaVinci’s foresight and the perseverance of Crick and Watson as they discovered DNA, by telling the story of Acura’s own coming-of-age and how it aligned with those great feats.

“We tried to make the site as clean and simple as possible, in a way that was still in line with the Acura brand,” says Schwartz. Of the challenges, securing rights to names and images was the toughest. “We initially tried to use Chuck Close, but he declined,” he says. “Mies van der Rohe was too expensive. The estates of Crick and Watson wouldn’t let us use their names. But after all was said and done I think we got some compelling content.”

With a goal of elevating the Acura brand, Schwartz feels they are off to a great start. “Being able to go so in-depth into non-automotive content on an automotive site is pretty unique,” he says.
Dana Rouse

Genex
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: David Glaze
ART DIRECTOR: Dylan Schwartz
WRITER: Amanda Vernor
FLASH DESIGNERS: Patrick Mullady, Brian Drake
PRODUCTION ARTIST: Peter Boerboom
3D ARTIST: Daniel Alegria
PRODUCER: Julie Notaro
CLIENT: Acura
CONTACT: www.genex.com