How Acura Uses Anime to Drive Next-Gen Engagement

The first season of Acura’s original anime series “Chiaki’s Journey,” celebrated the launch of the Type S line of performance vehicles. It was inspired by the brand’s challenger roots and passion for performance on both the road and the track. For the past few years, Acura has been using entertainment-style storytelling to showcase its products. With “Chiaki’s Journey,” we combined anime with racing to create a fun and adventurous tale that connects with a new generation of buyers.

The featured characters embody the heritage and spirit of the Acura brand, representing our passion for performance. Since its launch, the series has been successful in connecting Acura with Gen Z premium car buyers, becoming one of the brand’s most successful marketing campaigns ever.

Acura created a second season of the award-winning anime to introduce the 2024 Integra Type S ahead of its arrival this summer, partnering again with BAFTA-nominated animation studio The Line and agency MullenLowe L.A. to bring Chiaki’s latest adventure to life.

Season two picks up where season one left off, adding more emotion and adventure to the new challenges facing our heroine, Chiaki. We delve deeper into her origin, exploring her father Ichiro’s mysterious past while uncovering what drives Chiaki’s passion for racing. 

We see her take on Colorado’s daunting Pike’s Peak in an Integra Type S—an entirely different challenge compared to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach street circuit featured in season one. Acura has a deep connection to Pike’s Peak, having competed in the iconic hill climb 12 years consecutively, with the team amassing numerous first-place finishes and multiple course records. 

Now, Chiaki commits to finishing what her father started—overcoming the twists and turns of Pike’s Peak and fulfilling the racing legacy of her father.

This year we were thrilled to extend “Chiaki’s Journey” from the screen to the real world at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Calif., with an experiential installation. “Uncle Noboru’s Garage” was pulled directly from season two and featured a real-life version of the signature Type S from the series. The Integra Type S racer on display donned a custom anime wrap ahead of its debut on the course, which takes place in June. Acura introduced a bespoke, original manga book, too.

“Chiaki’s Journey” continues to engage fans and introduce new viewers to the brand, going above and beyond any initial expectations we had for the series.  

With the massive success of the first season and the fantastic reception to the launch of year two, there’s no telling what’s next for Chiaki and her Acura Type S journey.