Toyota Hacks Culture to Introduce All New Battery Electric Urban Cruiser

Last week, Toyota made waves when it announced a ground breaking line up of sustainable concepts dubbed the e-collection. It included innovative ideas for working professionals, nature enthusiasts, fashionistas, modern families and music lovers everywhere. The twist? You can’t find any of these concepts individually. But you will find them all together in Toyota’s brand new Battery Electric Urban Cruiser, unveiled today.

The e-collection, imagined by VIRTUE London, the agency powered by VICE, was designed to launch Toyota’s latest electric vehicle - and reach new audiences in the process. Without being able to leak the actual car, VIRTUE London imagined how elements of the Urban Cruiser could come to life as individual concepts in order to reach new audiences and markets. Turning speculative car features from an automotive world into multipurpose solutions for modern everyday living, that welcomes all communities. Creating curiosity and conversation across new corners of the internet and teasing the car’s features, without actually revealing the model.

The e-collection was visualised and built by TwoMuch 3D Design Studios. The series includes: Chirpmate, the world's first digital pet which showcases how the Urban Cruiser is built for the city, navigating the streets with ease. AdjusTable reflects a versatile interior that adapts to your needs. DualGuitar demonstrates how energy comes to life in an efficient powertrain with two battery sizes. All wheel drive sneakers explain how the car thrives in every weather condition and Notification Nails show how connected tech within the car keeps control at your fingertips.

Influencers took to social media to build hype around the e-collection, sparking conversation and discussions as commenters debated the merits of the concepts – with reactions ranging from “not me thinking these were press on nails” to “I feel like they should stick to cars on this one”. All part of the culture hacking plan, the lively debate built excitement for a mysterious 'unveiling presentation' on December 12th.

Chris Garbutt, chief creative officer VIRTUE Worldwide said, “We wanted to reimagine the role that cars can play in the worlds of real people and real communities. Each concept from last week’s release represents just a glimpse of the capabilities and creativity embedded in the new Urban Cruiser by Toyota. They’ve been a fantastic partner and allowed us to push boundaries in this new campaign.”

While automotive unveilings can often be shrouded in technical language, the big reveal of the Toyota Urban Cruiser was presented on a digital runway – with each of the concepts coming together to demonstrate the specs of the car in a truly community centric manner.