Toyota celebrates the Aussie 'Spirit'

The brand launched ‘The Spirit’ campaign, recalibrating the media mix to maximise use of channels that, “best create that bond between Australians and remind us that we are not alone”. Toyota CMO Wayne Gabriel said: “TV in all its forms – free-to-air, subscription, BVOD – is where Australians are turning to right now, seeking information and entertainment. And that’s backed by the numbers.”

The objective

During the COVID-19 crisis, Australians would need the support of Toyota, especially for vehicle repair or general product support. This is particularly important for people working in essential services. Therefore, the brand needed to reassure customers it remained available to assist.

Toyota Chief Marketing Officer Wayne Gabriel said: “As a leading Australian business, we believe we have a role to play, as do all organisations, to help lead Australia as we navigate this situation. We wanted to provide reassurance and hope and to remind people that in times like these, it’s important that we come together as one to support each other. This concept is inherent in our very nature as Australians.”

The execution

Toyota launched ‘The Spirit’ campaign. In the spot, a rousing poetic voiceover champions the great Aussie spirit and the importance of lending a hand.

Gabriel said: “It’s a very different type of campaign for a car company as it doesn’t feature a product or service, in fact very little Toyota product appears in the TV spot. Instead, it puts people front and centre and celebrates Australia’s amazing spirit and unwavering resilience.”

Due to social distancing restrictions, Toyota was unable to shoot new material, so the brand used either existing creative, material that was on hand or content that had been made in conjunction with media partners.

The media mix

Prior to the pandemic, Toyota had brand activity scheduled and the decision was made to use this allocated media spend to convey messages of support.

The media mix was recalibrated to maximise use of channels that, “best create that bond between Australians and remind us that we are not alone”. Gabriel said: “TV in all its forms – free-to-air, subscription, BVOD – is where Australians are turning to right now, seeking information and entertainment. And that’s backed by the numbers.”

For ‘The Spirit’, linear and over-the-top (OTT) TV, which includes BVOD and live streamed broadcaster content on PCs and mobile devices, sit at the heart of a multimedia campaign that is designed to connect with us all, one by one.

The results

While it’s still early days to gauge the impact of ‘The Spirit’ on Toyota’s brand metrics, research tells us that by continuing to invest in brand building activity, Toyota will be well positioned for the post-COVID bounce back. Gabriel said: “We need to remember the lockdowns will end at some point and retail activity will resume.”