BOLDNESS, BRANDING AND B.B. KING: TOYOTA LAUNCHES 2015 CAMRY CAMPAIGN

October 6, 2014 by Toyota

TORRANCE, Calif. (Oct. 6, 2014) – Leaving only its roofline unchanged, the redesigned 2015 Toyota Camry is showing drivers just how bold America's best-selling car can be. To ensure this bold move leads to another, Toyota is launching a marketing campaign for the new Camry that challenges people from coast to coast to live inspired lives while taking them to places they've never been before.

The campaign—entitled 'One Bold Choice Leads to Another'—is the first launch initiative under Total Toyota (T2), a total market model that creates a more cohesive marketing approach to Toyota's paid, earned and owned media by unifying the efforts of previously separate agencies.

'The 2015 Camry launch campaign captures what the new Toyota brand is all about,' said Jack Hollis, Vice President, Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. 'When we created our new marketing model less than a year ago, our quest was to connect with guests in more exciting and relevant ways. This campaign is just the beginning, and we think our drivers will be able to feel the new energy we're bringing to the brand.'

All of the T2 agencies (Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, Burrell Communications, Conill, InterTrend Communications and Zenith) came together under Saatchi LA's leadership to arrive at a core idea for the campaign. Once established, the core idea served as the guide for all of the creative work, which targets the total market, including highly-targeted efforts in diversity segments.

The campaign reflects the increasingly diverse American landscape. Consumer research for this campaign uncovered insights that united the Generation X target across multiple ethnic markets. The result was an inspiring connection between a vehicle that's doing something unexpected with its bold new styling and a generation that likes to stand out as individuals. The respective media and creative departments within the T2 model also worked together to ensure that interesting content is delivered to consumers when and where it's relevant for their lifestyles.

'The campaign centers on a pivotal message: One bold choice leads to another,' said Jason Schragger, Chief Creative Officer at Saatchi & Saatchi LA, who is leading the T2 creative process. 'Through our research, we know buying a car today means buying the label that goes along with it. The boldness of the Camry's new redesign communicates an unexpected, emotional thrill, and we wanted to capture that spirit of imagination and zest for life while connecting with consumers in meaningful and relevant ways.'

Elements of the campaign include mass reach media, custom programs that speak to guests' passions with a bold twist, and collaborations with Toyota media partners.

Broadcast

A total of six broadcast spots were developed using multi-cultural insights aimed at a transcultural audience. The commercials share stories of drivers who make a series of bold life choices, each one ending with a touching human moment that aligns with Toyota's Let's Go Places tagline.

The :30 debut spot called 'Guitar' shows a woman who goes to a storage auction and hits the jackpot (spoiler alert: 'Guitar' stars blues legend B.B. King). Another :30 spot, named 'Breakout,' features a young man who makes a daring decision at a wedding. A third :30 spot, 'Bucket List,' tells the story of a man who takes the trip of a lifetime with someone he hasn't seen in far too long.

Additionally, 'Fix' features a husband's bold driving skills while chasing a frozen yogurt truck in his new Camry to deliver a tasty treat to his very happy, pregnant wife. 'Movie Premiere' follows a dapper man to a movie premiere. As he leaves in his Camry, the lead actress escapes the ensuing paparazzi, hops into the vehicle's passenger side, and they drive off together. In 'Park,' a husband and wife 'sneak' into an amusement park after hours in their Camry for a surprise, romantic dinner to celebrate a special occasion.

Print

The 2015 Camry also stars in print ads that communicate a series of adventurous decisions made by its drivers, ultimately inviting consumers to become bolder versions of themselves.

Digital

Toyota's Camry iAd invites users to go inside the banner unit and become immersed in one driver's big adventure. Using Apple's gyroscope technology, the user experiences the situation from the driver's seat through both audio and video components. Hotspots and Easter eggs increase engagement levels and provide more information about the vehicle.

Social

Toyota will partner with Facebook to launch a data-driven creative campaign that leverages more than 50 pieces of content to deliver meaningful messages to users specifically based on their interests, preferences and car shopping habits.

The 2015 Camry will also find itself in the middle of a bold surprise with a few of YouTube's biggest stars behind its wheel.

Building on this bold surprise and its excitement, Toyota will launch an action-packed interactive film on Instagram and other social video channels that will put social users in direct control. Anchored by a well-known Latin-American celebrity behind the wheel of the bold new Camry, social users will select from among numerous bold decisions to create a unique storyline of events.

In addition, Toyota will bring together a diverse group of social influencers with various artistic backgrounds for a number of bold collaborations. The program will tap into the power of their social communities by allowing fans and followers to help create a one-of-a-kind art project.

Another socially-driven initiative will document famous a chef as he visits well-known restaurants to find and share bold, new dishes. Fans can follow the culinary trail and share their own personal recipes.

Experiential

Toyota will turn the Ride & Drive experience on its head for the new Camry, giving guests the opportunity to truly experience the vehicle's boldness. Toyota will also sponsor the annual Drama Fever Awards, where fans will be able to enter for a chance to attend the event, meet the stars, and be part of the experience. Camry will award a new 'Bold and Beautiful' category to a celebrity who has taken bold moves in his or her career.

Radio

One radio spot was produced for the campaign. It tells the story of a young man following the beat of a different drum. He makes bold moves in his new Camry as he deciphers Morse Code.

Background on 2015 Camry

The 2015 Camry made its global debut on April 16 at the New York International Auto Show. More aggressive than its predecessor, the vehicle features improved dynamic performance, a premium interior with a quieter cabin, and advanced safety technologies. The 2015 model ensures that the driver gets noticed for all the right reasons, and there's an emotional thrill in surprising others with an unexpected side. It was boldly designed in the United States, at Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Every Camry sold in North America is built at Toyota's plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, where more than 7,000 workers produce a Camry every 54 seconds.

Since the Camry first went on sale in 1983, Toyota has sold more than 10.2 million units in the United States alone (408,000 in 2013). Of the Camry models sold in the last 20-plus years, nearly two-thirds of them remain on the road today.

ABOUT TOYOTA

Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants and directly employ more than 40,000 people. Our 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.