Why You Know The Voice Behind The Honda Commercials, Even Though You Can't See Him

Professional WWE wrestler turned comedy action star John Cena is also the official voice of Honda. It all started back in 2020 when Honda decided to replace Fred Savage with Cena in an attempt to have a more intense and tough tone in its advertisements. This was done during a time when Honda wanted to increase its SUV and truck sales. At the time, Honda's assistant vice president of integral marketing, Ed Beadle, said it wanted to keep its sedan sales but grow its SUV sales too. 

Although Savage had voiced Honda's ads since 2014, he wasn't the right fit for Honda's change from quirky and unique to rough-and-tumble. With Cena's voice in the background, Honda's ads started showing more off-road driving in an attempt to appeal to more masculine car drivers. Beadle explained that Fred was maybe too nice to portray the gravitas and ruggedness of Honda's SUVs and trucks. 

Cena has continued to be the voice of Honda four years later, proving that ruggedness apparently was the way to go with today's car consumers. SlashGear has reviewed some of Honda's recent truck models and they're definitely holding their own in the category. But Cena's contract with Honda has him voicing all types of ads for the car company, including a recent cinematic about iconic Formula 1 racers and what it means to chase dreams even when faced with failure. 

The short film includes Cena reading a poem as it shows both heartbreaking moments and incredible wins for pro drivers Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen. Honda's race cars are also spotted in the cinematic, including past winners the Formula 1 Honda McLaren MP4/&A and the Honda RB16B — the first driven by the late Senna, the second by Verstappen, one of the best racers of all time. Said senior manager of automotive marketing Phil Hruska: "This new Honda campaign delivers a reassuring message of how determination and self-belief can lead to resounding triumph."