Honda is bringing a more enduring spin to its latest social campaign, which seeks to combat texting and driving by enabling consumers to download branded lock screens as a reminder to keep their phones down while on the road.

Honda is encouraging individuals to adopt safer driving habits via its latest social media campaign, #PhoneDownEyesUp, in honor of Distracted Driving Awareness month. In addition to a video series featured on its social channels, the automaker is prompting fans to download several branded lock screens for their smartphones that feature the campaign slogan against a variety of colorful backgrounds.

?Sprint brands have embraced responsible drinking,? said Gary Schwartz, president and CEO of Impact Mobile. ?Car brands are similarly aligning themselves with responsible driving.

?The difference is that with text, the medium (or block) of the medium can become part of the story.?

Building long-lasting impressions
With Honda?s video series running for a limited time ? during the month of April, to coincide with Distracted Driving Awareness month ? the vehicle manufacturer is offering consumers more permanent campaign-related content.

Consumers may visit Honda?s Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter pages to access four lock screens for their smartphones, which they can download or screenshot and save onto their devices.

Each of the lock screens features the campaign slogan, #PhoneDownEyesUp, next to an image of a Honda vehicle. Several different colored backgrounds are available.

By prompting individuals to download the lock screens, Honda is ensuring its brand stays at the forefront of consumers? minds.

If an individual is in the market for a new car and looks at his or her Honda-branded lock screen each day, he or she may become susceptible to the subliminal messaging and consider test driving a Honda.

This strategy could prompt other brands to incorporate more permanent forms of advertising into their campaigns to increase audience outreach and maximize marketing spend.

Driving up customer engagement
Honda is also complementing its downloadable lock screens with a series of mobile videos, playing on consumers? growing demand for short-form clips.

Individuals following Honda?s social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr will be privy to six 20-second clips that delineate the message of the #PhoneDownEyesUp campaign: not being able to multitask with simple activities equates to not being able to text and drive.

Each short video features a similar concept, showing viewers the difficulties of attempting to send a text message while conducting everyday tasks such as pet sitting, working out and making pancakes.

In one clip posted to Instagram earlier this week, an individual tries to send a text while brushing a child?s hair, which proves to be a challenging feat.

The videos are being promoted on all of Honda?s social channels, as well as YouTube, and will run through the end of April.

Honda is steadily building on a strong push for more mobile-oriented marketing strategies, as evidenced by its recent initiatives.

Honda was one of the first automakers to roll out advertisements placed within mobile wallets, enabling the brand to target consumers after the initial ad impression with notifications regarding upcoming sales events (see story).

In January, the brand also shifted into high gear on mobile by targeting millennials for a Civic redesign through ads unique to social media platforms that have been proven to do well with the young demographic (see story).

?Honda embracing mobile-first content and mobile-first travel blocks underscores the message and takes the brand beyond simple cause marketing,? Mr. Schwartz said.