Saatchi LA & Conill Get Down & Dirty with New Action-packed Toyota Ads

America’s best-selling, midsize pickup takes off-roading to new heights in the latest multicultural campaign delivered by Toyota and its advertising agencies Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles and Conill.   The campaign underscores Tacoma’s extreme adaptability and tougher-than-nails capabilities, appealing to the adventurer’s insatiable appetite for defying limitations

If your heart doesn’t beat a little faster after watching the all-new Toyota Tacoma broadcast spots, you might want to check your pulse.  The Tacoma creative targets those addicted to authentic, adventurous living without boundaries, where dirt clouds and mud sprays are rites of passage. 

“I’m totally pumped that Toyota is introducing an all-new generation of the Tacoma,” says Jack Hollis, group vice president of Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. “Tacoma is already the top-selling midsize pickup in America, and the 2016 builds off the off-road heritage of the last generation, while giving guests the opportunity to take it along as they experience things as never before. I’m really excited for the road ahead.”

Two broadcast spots have been unveiled:  ‘Countdown’ and ‘Blow Off Steam’.  One of the spots, shot in one take, features a multitude of professional motocross riders and stunt people unapologetically taking aim at the dust-filled landscape alongside the Tacoma. The other spot focuses on a group of thrill-seekers enjoying the dirtier side of life and relishing in the Tacoma spirit.  The fun, fearless and rugged creative approach aligns with Toyota’s “Let’s Go Places” theme and encourages play in the great outdoors.

Complementing the spots, social media elements of the campaign include a series of dynamic videos, which use the latest in visual and targeting technology to showcase the Tacoma in action.  On Facebook and Twitter the videos speak directly to target consumers by focusing on their interests, specifically: BMX racing, dirt bikes, ATV, snowboarding and snowmobiling. 

Instagram activations will deploy snippets of slow motion video, shot in bullet time with 4k technology, that graphically highlight the grittiness of the Tacoma in off-roading action from different angles.   Additionally on Instagram, a stop-motion video pays tribute to Tacoma owners and trucks at play. Tacoma owners are encouraged to submit their Instagram photos to possibly be featured in the series of videos.

“This has to be one of my favorite campaigns since I arrived here a year ago. It was so much fun to get a little dirty and create authentic content that emulates what the Tacoma is all about,” says Jason Schragger, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles. “We not only wanted to ignite the passion for exploring the great outdoors, but also show that playing in the mud should never get old, even when you become an adult.”

The Tacoma broadcast spots aim to connect with the liberating, adventure-seeking culture that dreams of dares and fears nothing, the young and young-at-heart who live on the edge. The tougher and more adaptable their truck, the more fun they will have. In fact, while on set at one of the shoots, the featured Tacoma didn’t even make contact with soap and water; the crew kept it down and dirty to maintain the authenticity of the vehicle’s off-roading escapades.

In addition to the main path of the campaign, Toyota’s Hispanic marketing agency, Conill, has added another online leg to the journey, one that focuses on the Latino market.  Using culturally relevant insights and a little competition, “Sal a Jugar” (Go Out & Play) highlights hard working Latinos who reward themselves by seeking out new adventures.  The objective: to measure the level of fun participants had driving the Tacoma. Special wristbands monitored the electrodermal activity of each person on competing teams during a series of outdoor challenges.

“We as Latinos tend to more closely associate this vehicle class with work and business than other groups,” says Javier Campopiano, chief creative officer, Conill. “This led us to a surprising idea to show our guests how much fun the all-new Tacoma can be. Putting some real science behind it adds another dimension to the experience. It’s an interesting twist for the category.”