Category Archives: Carload-related

A brilliant suggestion to Honda: Finance the losers

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Project Drive-In logoAs we continue our long, extended Drive-In Project journey, we will pause to thank Honda for its generous support in supplying nine digital projectors to struggling drive-in theaters. And then we will pass along a great suggestion posted yesterday evening.

The Johnson City TN Press ran an article about the State Line Drive-In of nearby Elizabethton and its reaction to Honda’s voting extension giving the State Line another chance. One Gabe Curde, possibly a Johnson City real estate agent, left a superb suggestion as a comment to that story: “Why doesn’t Honda offer 0% financing on these projectors to any half way qualified drive-in owners who don’t win a contest?”

That’s simply brilliant. Consider the stories about the Apache (Globe AZ), making it more famous on its deathbed than it ever was in life. Owner Bobby Hollis told a Cronkite News Service reporter, “Nobody is gonna loan me the money to convert to digital. Trust me, I’ve looked.” Honda has the resources to offer Hollis and any other drive-in owner some really good financing on projectors. And it would even help publicize Honda’s financing arm for wavering new-car buyers. C’mon, Honda, how about it?

Honda to spend a month promoting drive-ins

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What does Honda have in common with drive-ins? Until recently, I’d say the closest link was The Beach Boys’ 1964 album All Summer Long, which included the songs Little Honda and Drive-In. The former was an international hit, and I often hear the latter at drive-in theaters. In fact, I’d say that Drive-In is probably the best drive-in celebration song of all time. But I digress.

Almost 50 years later, Honda is about to give us a much better reason to connect it with drive-in theaters. This Friday, Honda will launch Project Drive-In, a month-long effort to raise awareness of the wonderful, fragile state of drive-ins today. The best part is that Honda will effectively rescue five drive-ins from oblivion, paying for new digital projection equipment. And you get to pick which drive-ins get saved.

According to Jessica Fini of Honda Public Relations, visitors to Project Drive-In will be able to cast their votes for their favorite drive-in out of a list of over 50 that need help. Some of those drive-ins were chosen by Honda, and others were added after they heard about the promotion and asked to be included. Voting will run through September 9, and a couple of weeks later, Honda will present checks or equipment to the five winners.

Fini said that she hopes that raising general awareness about the drive-ins in need might even help the theaters that don’t finish in the top five. And why is Honda so interested? “A lot of people have an emotional attachment to drive-ins,” Fini said. “We started hearing about all the drive-ins that are in trouble. It’s just a natural connection for us to raise this effort further through a social media promotion.”

As the Maine Sun Chronicle reported recently, Honda has been busy filming some videos to run in conjunction with this promotion. Fini told me that they won’t be used as TV ads (darn!) but will be featured on the Project Drive-In site. So spread the word, and get ready to vote early and often to keep your favorite drive-in alive.

I’ll trade a Western for your drive-in photo

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Western DVDsSpeaking of Westerns and speaking of DVDs made me think of a program to encourage you to get more involved with the Carload Flickr pool. In the months that the pool has been active, I’ve been the only one to submit photos for it, which leads me to believe that you have not yet considered how wonderful it would be to support your favorite drive-in news blog by chipping in. Therefore, I will try a small incentive.

The next four three people to submit a real, usable drive-in photo to the Carload Flickr pool will receive a free DVD containing at least one drive-in western. (Please do not watch your DVD during drive-in season; save it for when you local drive-in theater is closed.) Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Find an old drive-in related photo that you took or otherwise have full rights to reproduce. Or take a new picture of your local drive-in.
  2. Upload it to the Carload Flickr pool. It’s all pretty simple once you get a Flickr account. By submitting your photo, you agree that Carload may use your photo; please read the group rules for a few more details.
  3. Send me (NeonMichael) a FlickrMail by clicking the three dots on the right side of my Flickr home page and choosing Send FlickrMail. Include your email address and postal address so I can get in touch with you and mail you a DVD.
  4. As soon as I verify that your submitted photo is legit, I’ll stick your DVD in the mail. I’ll pay the postage (US only). Just like that.

I probably need to add some legaleze here, but I’m not sure what to say. This offer is open to US residents only, because it’s a pain to mail stuff to other countries. Limit one free DVD per household, but you’re welcome to contribute as many photos as you’d like. I might end this promotion at any time, especially when I run out of DVDs. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support of Carload.com.