Honda creates musical roads for promo

Honda (NYSE: HMC) is about to unveil a truly mind-boggling ad campaign. On stretches of highway in California, it has created sets of grooves, similar to the rumble strips found on highway berms, that are spaced and sized in a way that creates a series of musical notes as cars drive over them. Apparently, altering the vibration of the auto can create a scale of notes that are readily discernable to passengers of the right vehicle that are passing over them at the right speed.

The video explains the process far better than I can, but I must say, I found the audio produced by driving over the test strips striking. At best, I expected a lick or two of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, but the effect produces a much wider range of sounds, not at all similar to the percussion usually produced by rumble strips.

If they ever put them on highways I drive frequently, however, I want a say in what music is getting grooved. Can you imagine a daily commute passing over the same advertising jingles month after month? I'd probably detune my car.

Thanks, Advertising Age

Disclosure: I own four shares of Honda. Not quite controlling interest, eh?