Honda Hosts #OpenTheCheer Twitter Instant-Win Contest For Holiday Sales Event

Honda is adding a giveaway to its annual “Happy Honda Days” end-of-year integrated campaign in 2015, allowing folks who retweet its messaging a chance to instantly win Amazon gift cards or Apple Watches. Players can retweet once a day and will also be entered in a drawing to award a 2016 Accord Touring model.

The Santa Monica-based RPA agency worked with Honda on the effort, with Brand New School and Instagram artist Jessie Bearden each contributing to different video elements. Twitter says the recently introduced Instant-Win Cards are currently only available to certain advertisers on a case-by-case basis.

Besides giving people a chance to win, Honda is incentivizing them by donating $1 to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (@PBTF) for every retweet, up to $100,000. The instant-win element of Honda’s larger effort began today with a tweet from Honda’s corporate site, and it will continue through December 29. At the time of this writing, the original tweet from Honda had 770 retweets.

Could you win a new Honda? RT for a chance and we’ll give $1 to @PBTF! #OpentheCheer Rules: https://t.co/T6O2RXBZtZ https://t.co/PcACUTs40t

— Honda (@Honda) November 30, 2015

The opening video continues the theme explored in Honda’s television ads, in which a giant hand opens doors on a wooden toy house. Within those doors, viewers see vignettes featuring people taking part in holiday activities in their Honda vehicles.

In the Twitter version, the door opens to reveal a wrapped gift, which rotates and unwraps itself while festive music plays. It concludes with a question mark — driving curiosity about what someone might win — and explains the retweeting and charitable aspects of the effort.

“For Happy Honda Days this year, we want consumers to feel the joy and wonder that’s especially unique to Honda,” said Susie Rossick, Assistant Vice President at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Our goal for this campaign is to tap into the anticipation of giving and opening gifts during the holidays, and Twitter’s Instant Win feature allows us to surprise our fans and auto shoppers while helping give to a great cause.”

When someone retweets as requested, they’ll receive a response from Honda that includes a short video, one of several that begin with the door-opening sequence. For those who don’t win, there are a few different clever videos that break the news gently and encourage them with a reminder that they’re still entered into the grand prize drawing.

@landonsmum No prize now, but you could still win a Honda! Try again tomorrow OR check out Happy Honda Days! https://t.co/P8TMSNZfn0

— Honda (@Honda) November 30, 2015

@sweetheartl_g The bright side to losing: you could still win a car later! Try again OR visit Happy Honda Days! https://t.co/cF6zre0ozf

— Honda (@Honda) November 30, 2015

@cindy_georg You didn’t win now but you’re still entered to win a Honda! Try again OR visit Happy Honda Days! https://t.co/p6LSk4mcIG

— Honda (@Honda) November 30, 2015

The lucky instant winners get a video that reveals their prize:

@kelseybreedon You won! Soon your wrist will be home of the season’s top gadget! Redeem: https://t.co/WANWLwAsd6 https://t.co/fOuVKZlTFg

— Honda (@Honda) November 30, 2015

When winners click on the link sent to them by the Honda account, they must be logged into their Twitter account and must authorize Honda to access their information. That lets Honda and Twitter verify whether they are, indeed, the winner, rather than another Twitter user that simply clicked on the link.

The Happy Honda Days campaign also includes spots aired on network TV shows such as “Gotham,” “Scandal,” “The Flash” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” as well as on national cable networks and during NFL and NCAA sports broadcasts. Additionally, creative elements will appear in print, radio and social, as well as in digital display and online video ads.