Honda ’s luxury division — Acura — has been on the decline as of late, but it appears as though Acura is poised for a successful comeback. Acura recently opened a dedicated design center in Los Angeles and an R&D center in Japan and now comes word that Rubin Postaer and Associates — the ad agency responsible the the Honda and Acura brands — has given the Acura its own division.
According to Automotive News, Dave Weber has been hired to head up the new division at RPA. Weber, 53, is no stranger to the field of automotive marketing. He served as vice president of marketing for Hyundai from 1998 until 2002 and was most recently the group creative director at Y&R Advertising. Weber has also worked with the likes of Lexus , Land Rover and Saturn.
The move was made largely because Acura will be launching three new vehicles over the next several months — the 2009 RL, TL and TSX. According to John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda , the three new models will be crucial in Acura’s push to “further establish the brand as a major competitor in the luxury market segment.”
