You don’t normally expect a test drive to end with someone planning a holiday.
Usually, it ends with a conversation about monthly repayments, boot space or whether the dog will fit comfortably in the back. Occasionally someone falls in love with the car. Occasionally they don’t. But very rarely does a short drive around the block become the first leg of an entirely different journey.
For Nicole Smith, that’s exactly what happened.
A Simple Idea
This month, Honda Auto Sandton had the pleasure of handing over a R25,000 travel voucher after Nicole was announced as one of only four national winners in Honda South Africa’s Own Your Drive campaign. The competition transformed something as familiar as a test drive into an opportunity to explore somewhere new, proving that sometimes the best journeys begin before you’ve even bought the car.
The idea behind the campaign was refreshingly simple. During March, customers who completed a successful test drive of a participating Honda were automatically entered into a national competition. There were no complicated hoops to jump through, no shopping baskets to fill and no hidden catches lurking in microscopic terms and conditions. Simply experience a Honda from behind the steering wheel and stand a chance to win one of four R25,000 travel vouchers. Honda called it Own Your Drive, a campaign built around the belief that driving is about far more than travelling from one destination to another. Every journey has the potential to become something memorable, and every road has a story waiting somewhere beyond the next bend.
It’s an idea that suits Honda rather well. For decades, the brand has quietly built a reputation for creating cars that become trusted companions rather than passing infatuations. Whether it’s the city-friendly Amaze, the versatile Fit or the adventure-ready Elevate, Honda has always understood that the real value of a car isn’t measured by the number of screens on the dashboard. It’s measured by where it allows you to go, who you take with you and the memories you collect along the way. The Own Your Drive campaign simply extended that philosophy beyond the driveway and onto the open road.
The Handover
Nicole’s prize handover took place at Honda Auto Sandton, where the dealership team welcomed her back to celebrate the occasion. There were smiles, photographs and the unmistakable excitement that comes with discovering that an ordinary day has suddenly become rather extraordinary. According to Honda South Africa, the handover was a memorable occasion, with Nicole thoroughly enjoying the experience as she officially received her prize.
For Honda Auto Sandton, the moment was about more than presenting a travel voucher. It was another reminder that dealerships aren’t simply places where transactions happen. They are where stories begin. Sometimes those stories involve a family’s first new car. Sometimes they involve handing over the keys after years of careful saving. And every now and then, they involve watching a customer walk through the showroom doors expecting a test drive and leaving with plans for a holiday instead.
Congratulations once again to Nicole Smith on becoming one of Honda South Africa’s four national Own Your Drive winners. We hope the journey ahead is every bit as memorable as the one that started it.
