• by Karl Greenberg , May 17, 2007

Honda teams with Fall Out Boy for its seventh annual Civic Tour concert series, and has made the Web an integral part of the experience.

The effort comprises video content delivered to both civictour.honda.com and social networking site friendsorenemies.com, including documentary video clips of the band and videotaped responses from band members to questions posted by fans.

A "Long Song Title Game" asks users to write long song titles similar to the band's own modus.

Honda's site links to friendsorenemies.com, which the band is using to post photos of the tour taken from band members' own camera phones. They are also using the site to post journal entries and blogs.

The band-modified car this year is a Hybrid Civic, which is showcased on the Honda Civic Tour Web site and will be displayed at each concert venue. Throughout the tour, fans will have the opportunity to enter a drawing to win the band-autographed car.

The interactive effort was developed by L.A.-based RPA, Honda's agency of record, and is being produced by Buzznet, which runs friendsorenemies.

Fern Shlauter, RPA's interactive management supervisor, says that even though Honda promotes Civic Tour in traditional media, the Web site is meant to drive interest.

"I think that we have always wanted the Civic Tour site to be very interactive," she says. "In the past, for instance, you could vote for bands and submit feedback, but this is a really big departure in terms of user-generated content."

This is the first time Honda's tour site has linked with other social networking sites.

Honda doesn't market its cars on the site. The only vehicle shown is the one customized by the band and promoted as the ultimate prize in a Honda Tour sweepstakes.

"We try not to be heavy handed with product promotions on the site. We want people to have a fun, engaging experience. It's more of a life-style play," Shlauter adds.

Fall Out Boy appealed to Honda partly because of its huge online fan base.

Honda and friendsorenemies are also running a promo in which consumers can upload videos of fans lip-synching the band's songs.