• by Tanya Gazdik , March 2, 2017

Honda is featuring Carlos PenaVega — an actor, singer and dog lover — in a campaign for the 2017 CR-V that targets Hispanics and pet lovers. 

The social campaign, which runs to the end of March, continues Honda’s “The Power of Dreams” theme and aims to drive awareness of the new CR-V with its new exterior styling, amped-up capability and roominess.

The automaker is using its social channels including @HondaLatino on Twitter and Instagram as well as Facebook to drive awareness of the 2017 CR-V.  The effort includes a partnership with the animal shelter spcaLA.

PenaVega will reach out to the pet-loving community through Honda’s social channels on behalf of dogs in search of a new home. The first of a three-part video series launched Thursday. Created by Santa Monica, California-based Orci, it features the CR-V’s exterior styling, capability and roominess. The videos feature PenaVega and friends from spcaLA as they share helpful tips to best care for the animals.

“Highlighting these inspirational stories will enable viewers to become familiar with the CR-V and spotlight the dogs available for adoption, helping find homes for these deserving animals,” says Susie Rossick, assistant vice president, Honda auto marketing, in a release.

Honda’s “CR-V Pet Adoption Drive” follows the CR-V’s “Best Friends” Spanish-language TV spot, which debuted on Fox Deportes during the Super Bowl, and was also created by Orci.

The spot focuses on the notion that sometimes a dream means helping others realize theirs. It tells the story of a young boy and his mom raising a puppy together.

Over time the boy and his dog develop a fun and loving relationship and the whole family comes together to train the dog. One day, they receive a call they have been expecting. In the final moments of the spot, it is revealed that the months-long training activities were intended to give the dog to another family as a service dog to help a child with special needs.