The much-anticipated refresh had garnered a lot of attention, but as its release was postponed, the attention wasn’t always positive. Automotive writers cast doubts that the vehicle would ever happen, and Acura’s own statements were increasingly met with skepticism.

With the vehicle finally nearing production, the idea was simple—let the NSX speak for itself. Rather than feed skeptics expected specs or promised performance stats, we would put the thrills and excitement of the NSX on display. We would take all the talk head on and speak in the language of NSX—speechless exhilaration.

The resulting work dramatically showcased the emotion and excitement built into the NSX, while recognizable American rock icon David Lee Roth brought to life the hard-to-articulate excitement imbued into every vehicle.

The spot slowly and dramatically showcased the vehicle’s construction, romanticizing its performance design and advanced technologies. It demonstrated how the NSX, while a technological achievement, was designed with emotion.

Most important, David Lee Roth’s interpretive and seemingly involuntary cheers captured the emotion and excitement the NSX promised and gave the work the evocativeness fans thirsted for.

The spot closes with a cheeky nod to David Lee Roth’s apparent speechlessness with the line, “What He Said,” referencing the constant buzz around the vehicle’s development and the breathtaking performance the NSX delivers.

“What He Said” reignited excitement in the NSX, surpassing industry benchmarks and driving traffic and buzz.

The work resonated with consumers, with all audiences (+$75K, +$100K, and Millennials) rating it above industry benchmarks for attention getting, likability, desirability, and causing an improvement to brand opinion.

It also drove improvements to Acura’s brand imagery attributes, most dramatically to “Acura has powerful performance,” “Acura vehicles are exhilarating to drive,” and “Acura approaches luxury in a new and different way.”

The work also reignited interest in the NSX. On the air date, there was a 261 percent increase in acura.com visits and a 691 percent increase in visits to the NSX page.