January 20, 2022 — TORRANCE, Calif.
- Chiaki’s Journey debuts during 2022 Sundance Film Festival, Acura is a Presenting Sponsor
- A four-part anime series, Chiaki’s Journey features the all-new lineup of Acura Type S performance products: 2022 TLX Type S, 2022 MDX Type S and 2022 NSX Type S
- All-new 2023 Acura Integra makes a cameo appearance in the new anime series
- Chiaki’s Journey is inspired by Acura’s challenger roots and passion for developing precision crafted products that perform on road and on track
Acura is taking viewers along on Chiaki’s Journey, the brand’s first-ever anime series. Chiaki’s Journey showcases the all-new lineup of Acura Type S performance vehicles that is driven by a young hero’s quest to overcome multiple challenges on her path toward victory.
The new Acura anime series will debut during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival as Acura returns for a 12th consecutive year as a Presenting Sponsor and Official Vehicle. Fans can watch all four :60 episodes and learn more about Chiaki’s Journey and Acura’s Type S vehicle lineup at acura.com/type-s.
Chiaki’s Journey chronicles a fun and exhilarating adventure centered on Chiaki, a young driving protégé, and her wise uncle Noboru. These characters represent the heritage and challenger spirit of the Acura brand and its unrelenting passion for performance. When emotions heat up at the local racetrack between Chiaki and her nemesis Erich Kang, Noboru steps in and mentors Chiaki, as she prepares to put her family legacy on the line in the biggest race of her life. The full Acura Chiaki’s Journey series is also on YouTube, featuring four episodes:
Chiaki’s Journey Volume 1: Money on the Track
A promising new challenger makes her presence known at the Grand Prix Long Beach. Follow our hero’s journey.
Chiaki’s Journey Volume 2: The Long Way Home
Chiaki finds a seasoned mentor in her uncle, Noboru, and a racing champion returns. Stay on top of the action.
Chiaki’s Journey Volume 3: Becoming One
What does it mean to become one with the machine? Find out what’s next in our hero’s journey.
Chiaki’s Journey Volume 4: Night Race
Chiaki and Erich square off on the very demanding Acura Grand Prix track in Long Beach. Don’t miss the finale!
The anime series also stars the trio of all-new Acura Type S performance models: the 2022 MDX Type S 3-row premium SUV, 2022 TLX Type S sport sedan and 2022 NSX Type S supercar, the brand’s 600 hp, most powerful and best performing NSX ever.
“Acura is driven to create products that embody our Precision Crafted Performance DNA, and the fun, attention-grabbing nature of anime pop-culture will help build momentum for our new Type S lineup,” said Jon Ikeda, vice president and Acura brand officer. “Chiaki’s Journey combines anime with Acura’s ‘Less Talk, More Drive’ cinematic-style, expanding on our entertainment-like marketing, to draw a new generation of premium car buyers to the Acura brand.”
Chiaki’s Journey Campaign Details
Chiaki’s Journey, developed with agency partner Mullen Lowe Los Angeles, features four 60-second episodes that viewers can watch on acura.com/type-s and throughout Acura activations surrounding the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The series is also being featured on various digital platforms including CrunchyRoll, Jalopnik, Gizmodo, IMDb, The Takeout, AV Club, YouTube and Kotaku.
Additionally, the campaign is being amplified across Acura social channels, such as TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit and Twitter, and will debut on 250 cinema screens and high-profile out of home placements in major markets across the U.S., including New York and Los Angeles. The campaign will also feature Spanish-language voiceover adaptations of each volume, to reach the Hispanic audience.
Chiaki’s Journey is set to music by Japanese all-female metal band, NEMOPHILA, featuring their track, “Raitei.” Based in Tokyo, NEMOPHILA’s star continues to rise offering fans a mixture of various musical styles ranging from rock to grunge: https://nemophila.tokyo/en/.
Acura Type S Lineup:
- The recently launched 2022 MDX Type S is a high-performance version of the brand’s flagship 3-row SUV and the first Acura SUV to wear the Type S badge, making it the most powerful, best handling and most lavishly equipped Acura SUV ever.
- The 2022 TLX Type S sport sedan caters to spirited driving enthusiasts, with significant enhancements to all elements of the driving experience, including 355 horsepower and torque vectoring Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive™.
- NSX Type S is the ultimate expression of Acura’s commitment to Precision Crafted Performance, with Acura’s 2022 supercar outputting 600-horsepower as the most powerful and best performing NSX ever.
About Acura
Acura is a leading automotive nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance – a commitment to expressive styling, high-performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability. The Acura lineup features five distinctive models – the ILX and TLX sport sedans, the RDX and MDX sport-utility vehicles, high-performance Type S variants and the electrified NSX supercar. Integra will return to the Acura lineup in 2022.
All 2021 model year and newer Acura vehicles sold in America are made in the U.S., using domestic and globally sourced parts.
[Source: Acura]