Celebrating 20 Years of Creating with Gemba, Toyota and the AFL
Over the past year it has been more evident than ever that Aussies adore their sport.
The mateship, the ice cold drink on a scorching hot day at the stadiums, and unbelievable pride in one's team - win or lose.
Brands that take an interest in any Aussie sport must take an exceptional amount of time, effort and most importantly understanding of the sport and its people to be successful within the arena.
Toyota, Gemba and the AFL have been in partnership for the past 20 years. Campaigns, special events, merchandise and countless other customer experiences have gone through the doors of Gemba and travelled to stadiums around the country as part of this relationship.
The brand, the sport, and the agency have grown and to speak more on what it takes to cultivate a partnership as successful as that between Toyota, the AFL and Gemba, LBB’s Casey Martin spoke with Gemba’s ECD, Boyd Hicklin and head of marketing strategy, Adam Hodge.
LBB> When you were creating the initial campaign for Toyota and the AFL in 2003, did you anticipate that this partnership would last for two decades? How have you managed to sustain this partnership over the years?
Boyd> When the sponsorship deal was first signed back in 2003, Gemba’s role was primarily strategic, focused on helping Toyota harness the potential of partnerships to address brand challenges. Twenty years ago, the brand presented us with the challenge of establishing stronger emotional connections with consumers across the nation, with a particular emphasis on those in the southern states. The AFL partnership emerged as a significant pillar in addressing this challenge.
The AFL held a dominant position in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia, and Toyota was keen to demonstrate its unwavering support for the sport beloved by fans. We developed a straightforward two-pronged strategy to convey that ‘Toyota gets footy’ and ‘Toyota is good for footy.’ ‘Toyota gets footy’ was reflected by speaking the language of the fans, embracing the game’s rich heritage, and actively participating in passionate conversations. To demonstrate that ‘Toyota is good for footy,’ the brand formed genuine connections with the community and grassroots clubs through dealer sponsorships and financial support. This simple, clear strategy remains relevant to this day.
The states with a deep love for football are now strongholds for the brand, and the AFL’s expanding national reach has enabled Toyota to address national marketing challenges.
While those at the agency who were part of that initial deal might not have expected the sponsorship to endure for 20 years, they laid a solid foundation for the partnership, allowing it to evolve and thrive alongside the sport and millions of Australians.
LBB> How do you ensure that what you deliver aligns with Toyota’s brand and the AFL while also bringing a fresh perspective?
Adam> Toyota boasts a well-established global brand with deep Japanese roots. Although the tagline ‘Oh what a feeling!’ created in the US in 1982 and achieved worldwide success, most other markets eventually transitioned to new campaigns and taglines. However, in Australia, the brand has remained loyal to this tagline, affectionately shortened to OWAF by the company and its agencies.
When a brand places such a strong emphasis on a specific ‘feeling’ associated with its product use, it makes perfect sense to leverage sponsorship, the most emotionally charged marketing channel, to convey that feeling. A two-decade partnership with Australia’s most passionately supported pastime, Australian Rules Football, has played a pivotal role in the brand’s marketing strategy.
Toyota has consistently looked to sponsorship, especially over the last ten years, to reinforce its Trust pillar by showcasing the brand’s commitment to community values. This powerful combination of Feeling, Trust, and Community offers fertile ground for consistently fresh interpretations of a decades-old brand positioning.
LBB> What were the most exhilarating campaigns to work on during this partnership?
Boyd> In the early stages of the partnership, Gemba developed the strategy while Toyota’s brand agency, Mojo, created the initial Legendary Moments campaign. This campaign paired two young actors, comedians, and footy fanatics Steven Curry and Dave Lawson. The work produced was brilliant and enduring, full credit to Mojo and the creative team involved. Alongside unsuspecting retired footy legends, Steve and Dave created some of the most memorably chaotic commercials in Australian sports sponsorship. This unique and humorous format, always concluding with Toyota’s iconic ‘Oh What a Feeling’ jump, firmly embedded the brand in the minds of footy fans where it has remained ever since.
Legendary Moments evolved into a potent asset for Toyota, with new ‘episodes’ released each AFL season, entertaining fans with their irreverence and authenticity. Toyota became an integral part of the footy fan conversation, with a reverential anticipation of ‘who the next Toyota legend would be.’ Simultaneously, the Toyota Good for Footy program grew, connecting Toyota Dealers with local footy clubs in their communities and providing invaluable financial support.
As time passed, Gemba took on the role of creative custodian for the AFL sponsorship and the Legendary Moments campaign. We rolled out multiple campaigns, of which I am personally very proud. The Michael Long and Leo Barry campaigns were highly successful and preserved the rich legacy of the work. We brought Legendary Moments into the digital age, introducing new social extensions that allowed us to maintain ongoing conversations with fans about the game and their beloved figures.
Adam> As recently as 2021, we launched a campaign called ‘Good & Gooder’ to promote the ‘Good for Footy’ grassroots AFL program, which we created over a decade ago. We believed that the deliberate use of a made-up word would capture the attention of our audience, who had been hearing about this program for many years but often attributed it to another sponsor’s brand.
Convincing the Toyota Marketing team to embrace this playful approach with the English language required effort, but their willingness (thanks to our team’s persistence) resulted in the successful launch of ‘Good & Gooder’ and the Toyota Suggestion Box. The campaign led to an immediate increase in sponsorship attribution and the best awareness results to date. It was both challenging to bring to market and exciting due to the remarkable results it achieved.
LBB> And which work posed the biggest challenges?
Boyd> It was during the re-emergence of AFL from a long and challenging COVID shutdown. Toyota was there to celebrate this highly anticipated moment with dedicated fans.
Somehow, in a few short weeks, we managed to create a brand film and digital campaign titled ‘We Bounce Back,’ shot between hard lockdowns and under new and complex production protocols.
Coordinating with AFL clubs in lockdown and fans in family hubs, all through Zoom and muffled mask conversations, was chaotic yet cathartic. It symbolised the ‘footy’s back and we’re pumped’ mentality, a moment of pride as the countdown ended and Toyota was associated with that first bounce.
LBB> How have you observed the growth of Toyota as a brand and the AFL as a sport in terms of target audiences and brand image?
Adam> Toyota is a globally recognized brand with a rich Japanese heritage. They strive to be responsible members of the local communities where they operate, and part of this commitment involves supporting the things that locals are most passionate about. The partnership with the AFL has enabled Toyota to demonstrate this local passion and commitment to corporate citizenship to a massive audience of passionate fans.
Toyota also places a strong emphasis on ‘story doing’ before ‘storytelling.’ They believe that merely signing a yearly cheque for the AFL isn’t the end of their responsibility to the sport; it’s just the beginning. They go above and beyond in their commitment, and over the past decade, they have helped local sports clubs raise more than $15 million through the Good for Footy and Good for Cricket programs. This is substantial funding that directly benefits clubs and strengthens the sports they represent.
LBB> How has Gemba evolved as the partnership progressed?
Boyd> Gemba’s role initially involved Sponsorship Strategy within the Toyota agency ecosystem.
However, our role expanded significantly over time. We introduced an activation support capability, bringing in an account management team to ensure that we fully leveraged all sponsorship assets to extract maximum value. This, in turn, opened doors for creative development, leading us to establish a design studio and creative resources capable of delivering a wide range of sponsorship marketing, including branded content, broadcast integration concepts, print materials, digital content, out-of-home advertising, stadium media, TV commercials, events, and experiential marketing.
Through our partnership with Toyota, Gemba has had unique opportunities for growth and benefited from collaborating with a sophisticated, multinational marketing organisation. Our name, Gemba, is rooted in Japanese business management processes; Gemba translates to ‘the real place’ and signifies the management practice of conducting Gemba Walks, emphasising the importance of visiting the actual location to observe where real things happen. This concept is deeply embedded in Toyota’s approach.
We gained valuable insights, methodologies, and best practices from Toyota, an organisation renowned for its expertise in quality management and process optimization. By adopting some of Toyota’s principles and tools related to efficiency, production, and process streamlining, we improved operational performance.
LBB> What changes have you witnessed over the years, and how have Gemba, Toyota, and the AFL adapted?
Boyd> If a week is a long time in footy, then twenty years is an eternity! There have been numerous changes in the sport and in the sponsorship landscape over the years, but one constant has been the trust and integrity between key stakeholders: the client, the agency, and the rights holder.
Over time, the sponsorship landscape in the AFL has become increasingly crowded. There are now numerous sponsors for the league, and when individual club deals are added to the mix, including multiple auto sponsors, the clutter intensifies. This abundance of sponsors results in more noise and a greater challenge to stand out, particularly in the ‘community and grassroots’ arena. With many brands aiming to gain trust and authenticity within the community, misattribution has become commonplace, adding to the creative challenge.
As media has fragmented and social media has become a key driver of fan engagement, we’ve adapted our agency village working model to ensure strong alignment between strategic, media, and creative teams. We’ve developed working models that help us navigate the seemingly endless football season, including the introduction of AFLW, which has increased the demand for ‘always on’ engagement.
LBB> If you could go back in time, would you do anything differently?
Boyd> If I could go back, I would have loved to organise a Toyota Legendary Moments Steve & Dave 20 Year Reunion Tour. We would have brought back the old footy legends for one more run and introduced new legends into the mix, including our first-ever female Legendary Moment! Daisy… where are you?
LBB> Finally, are there any specific stories or anecdotes from this partnership that you’d like to share with LBB?
Boyd> Some of the most memorable moments of my professional life have been forged as part of the Toyota AFL partnership. Aside from being fortunate enough to witness the Hawks’ Premiership 3-Peat firsthand, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside the sport’s best talents and personalities. From Adam Goodes to Daisy Pierce, from Michael Long to Jonno Brown, we’ve crossed paths with the best and made a positive impact along the way.
I take pride in being part of the long-running Toyota Good for Footy program, which has raised over $8 million for grassroots football clubs across the country. This funding genuinely improves the lives of football fans and participants everywhere, helping local community clubs not only survive but thrive. I’ve witnessed the profound impact that both the game and the brand can have on real people, and it’s a humbling experience.
Adam> Toyota’s humility and conscientious approach as a company are a constant source of inspiration. A recent example occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many businesses, Toyota received significant JobKeeper payments to sustain operations and protect jobs, especially during a steep decline in sales, a challenge faced by many companies across the country.
However, towards the end of 2020, Toyota, which had rebounded more successfully than some others by that point, made the extraordinary decision to repay the entire $18 million they had received from the Australian government via JobKeeper. While we, as an agency, were eager to help Toyota publicise this decision, they, ever humble, chose not to say a word, even as other brands faced criticism for retaining their payments in similar circumstances. Once again, Toyota’s actions spoke louder than words.
