To Drive, Or Not To Drive: How HERO and Toyota Helped Aussie Find Their Drive
It’s a hot summer's day.
The windows are rolled down and the music is on full blast. A group of 20-somethings are singing in the car as the road stretches on for miles and a feeling of freedom radiates from their laughter.
Freedom… that's what driving offers people. But this euphoric feeling isn’t always what those on the road feel. The road can be a scary place, we’ve all seen the tragedies that can unfold, and we’ve all been affected in some way by them.
That is just one of the many reasons why 1.5 million Australian adults don’t have their driver's licence. It was this problem that Toyota, with the help of HERO, sought to solve.
Together they have produced an inspiring tale that follows three Aussies as they overcome their fear of driving. All three individuals have unique reasons for their hesitancy to get behind the wheel.
The campaign tracks their journey from scared learners to finally feeling that freedom they’ve been chasing.
LBB’s Casey Martin spoke with HERO’s executive creative director, Shane Geffen, as he detailed the work behind this inspirational campaign.
LBB> This spot was incredibly inspiring. What were the challenges when producing this campaign?
Shane> That reaction was exactly what motivated and fuelled this project as we realised that there are so many people who could be inspired and benefit from it. The main challenge was developing a program that went above and beyond traditional driving lessons that would address the driving anxiety and mental barriers that prevent many adults from getting their licenses.
LBB> What did you learn about the 1.5 million non-divers in Australia that surprised you?
Shane> The more we discussed and shared the campaign idea, the more we discovered that everyone knows an adult who doesn’t have their driver's licence for a number of various reasons. For me, it was my mother. She relied on my dad to drive for over 20 years, and when they separated, she had a huge fear of driving. It’s a mental block that she could never overcome. Zac, who we feature in our campaign, has a hearing and sight disability, and one of the reasons why he put off getting his license was a failed driver's test 10 years ago when he misheard an instruction. It’s why we developed stages to help build confidence and overcome these barriers no matter what they are.
Initial counselling sessions help overcome barriers, then VR Road driving simulations build confidence and finally, specialised driving instructors provide extra support.
LBB> What were the highlights of the campaign? How involved were you with the people’s stories?
Shane> It’s not often that you can work on something that positively impacts people’s lives, so this project has been highly rewarding for everyone involved. Seeing these four people go through the program and pass was the ultimate highlight.
LBB> How do you think this campaign will impact the Australian public? What are the hopes?
Shane> We’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response, and we hope that the more we promote the campaign and the further its reach goes, the more Australians will be inspired to overcome their own personal barriers and finally find their drive. Toyota has created a downloadable information pack to help those unlicensed adult Australians continue their journey to finding the right experts and support to experience freedom behind the wheel finally.
LBB> What was the main message that you wanted to get across and how do you believe you succeeded in portraying this message?
Shane> The Find Your Drive campaign sets out to bring Toyota’s brand purpose of Mobility for all to life. Australia also has a unique situation where wait times for new vehicles can run into many months if not years for some models as demand outstrips supply. These circumstances have led to new approaches to retaining and acquiring customers. Find Your Drive builds on this global purpose and is a brand act that helps build salience and positive sentiment while also tapping into 1.5 million people without a driver’s licence who could potentially become 1.5 million new customers.
LBB> How did you go about choosing which stories to tell?
Shane> We had difficulty selecting our final four from an extensive list. The more we searched, the more fascinating stories and colourful personalities we uncovered. We had a longlist that we whittled down to Zac, Maddy, Suzzanne and Harley as we were immediately drawn to them and their stories. But if we ever had to do it again, we have 1.5 million other adult Aussies to choose from.
LBB> How long was the process of filming? How long were you following these non-drivers and what was a moment on set you’ll never forget?
Shane> We documented our four adult learners over three months as they went through each stage of the program up to their driving tests. It wasn’t your usual shoot with the agency and client viewing a split in the background at every stage. Instead, we’d have daily check-ins with Bec Peniston-Bird, our director, before and after shoot days. Bec had our full trust, and she did an exceptional job of building relationships with each of the adult learners and capturing their real, raw and vulnerable moments throughout the process. It was like we were flies on the wall watching these people get closer and closer to their driving tests and watching their triumphs and setbacks. You couldn’t help but get deeply invested in each of their journeys. I remember waking up on the morning of each test day and feeling anxious for each of them. As each of them passed, we felt immense joy… and relief. We can often take having a driver’s licence for granted, but it can be life-changing.
