Filed under: Cars, Crap Campaigns In History, Insight, Planning, Unplanned
Late last year I wrote a post about the horrendous advertising Toyota are doing for their Camry in the US.
I talked about how it was attempting to be deep and meaningful, only to be undermined by a crap execution, especially when it’s for a model of car that is renowned for its sensibleness. I don’t mean that in a negative sense … but from the perspective that it’s a solid, reliable automobile and trying to ‘sex it up’ ends up alienating rather than inspiring.
Well, as you can see from the pic above, Toyota don’t give a shit about what I say [and who can blame them] because it appears they’re persevering with this car crash of communication.
What is it with Toyota ads and balloons?
Is it because they are both full of hot air?
And why have the owners seemingly happy to be walking towards a balloon that looks like it’s fallen from the sky?
Probably for the same reason they’ve walked off and – judging by the lit instrument panel – left their keys in their car with the engine running.
Who are these people?
I’ll tell you who they are, they’re bloody idiots.
Bloody idiots with a sexual fetish for hot air ballooning.
And what is it with that headline?
“It’s The Stops That Inspire Us To Go”.
What?
WHAT???
Apart from it being some z-grade Yoda bollocks, the fact is you can see the cars GPS is on so the happy-go-lucky couple featured in the ad aren’t some spontaneous couple, going wherever life takes them, they’re a couple of balloon groupies who planned … PLANNED … their trip.
In fact I’d go one step further.
They’re a couple of balloon groupies who chose to drive to a remote part of nowheresville to pollute the clean air with their bloody car fumes.
I wanted to say this is a perfect example of why focus groups are dangerous, but the thing is, I don’t think even a research model designed to ensure communication is bland and meaningless could have approved this.
But then, if not them, who … because the alternative is even more scary.
What’s going on Toyota?
When you say ‘Let’s Go Places’, do you mean ‘go to the bottom of the advertising barrel’?
Seriously, you’re better than this.
Your agency is better than this.
And humanity certainly is better than this.
Sort it out, because this cannot be working for you.
Toyota Corolla: For balloon fetish, air polluting fools who leave their keys in the car. With the engine running.
26 Comments so far
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I hate to admit it Rob, but I enjoy your writing much more when you are sarcastic and angry. I didn’t like it when I had to work with it, but now I’m far away and you seem to have mellowed over time, I am OK with admitting I like it.
Comment by Bazza February 25, 2016 @ 6:24 amAnd I agree with you. This campaign is terrible.
Comment by Bazza February 25, 2016 @ 6:24 amAbsence makes the brain grow stupid.
Comment by DH February 25, 2016 @ 6:28 amBut I’ll give you this sort of post is better than when he does his planning spiel.
Comment by DH February 25, 2016 @ 6:29 amits true bazza but youre stills fucking fool for saying it. twat.
Comment by andy@cynic February 25, 2016 @ 6:50 amWell if you offer me a job, I promise I’ll bring you all my 20’s and 30’s anger and angst back to you.
How about that for an offer?
Comment by Rob February 25, 2016 @ 8:09 amThere’s a cleaning job I could get you. You will need to train up for it, but I think you can do it.
Comment by Bazza February 25, 2016 @ 8:14 amIs this another of those situations where Toyota got embarrassed being the #1 car company and so did things to sabotage themselves? If it is, they’re as efficient at that as they are making decent cars for a fair price.
Comment by DH February 25, 2016 @ 6:30 amWhile it’s true Toyota went through some sort of corporate crisis of confidence when they became the biggest car manufacturer in the World, I don’t think they deliberately sabotaged themselves … though it may explain how they ended up producing the Yaris.
Comment by Rob February 25, 2016 @ 8:13 amIt’sthe most ridiculously crowded ad I’ve seen in a long time so it’s no surprise that you didn’t notice it was for a Camry.
Comment by john February 25, 2016 @ 6:35 amAnd the GPS map doesn’t match where they are – that’s a river, not a lake/sea.
Comment by john February 25, 2016 @ 6:37 amHe only has one eye. But it’s mainly because he’s stupid.
Comment by DH February 25, 2016 @ 7:06 amWhat a fool. Changing it …
Comment by Rob February 25, 2016 @ 8:15 amyou all would make the fucking worst bastard clients ever. except your pedantic shit would make this sort of bollocks better. or at least less shit and the adfuckers should get off that easy for churning out dogshit like this. its more than a fucking car crash, its a fucking car crash involving a 70s skoda and a mini metro. its that much of a fucking car crash.
Comment by andy@cynic February 25, 2016 @ 6:49 amI don’t know what Toyota are thinking but I know what Saatchi’s (who I think was behind this) were thinking.
“Agency fee. Agency fee. Think of the agency fee”.
Terrible work from idea to execution to craft.
Comment by Pete February 25, 2016 @ 6:59 amThere’s no craft.
Comment by john February 25, 2016 @ 7:08 amI was never able to be so biting as my 2 esteemed ex colleagues, but I must say Robert’s vitriol towards this Toyota ad is entirely justified. It is appalling.
Comment by George February 25, 2016 @ 7:31 amIf you say it, it’s like the Queen saying it.
Elizabeth … not Freddie.
Comment by Rob February 25, 2016 @ 8:16 amI bet they’ve left the handbrake off too, so with luck the car might roll forward and run them both over.
Comment by Ian Gee February 25, 2016 @ 8:23 amThe stupid fucks have left it in gear.
Comment by Billy Whizz February 25, 2016 @ 8:37 amHow the mighty have fallen.
Comment by Lee Hill February 25, 2016 @ 9:01 amToyota or Saatchi?
Comment by Rob February 25, 2016 @ 9:45 amso much of it is wrong, especially the red seam on the gearshift. guess it’s easier to look for the things that went right. nothing.
Comment by seb February 25, 2016 @ 6:19 pmAnd why did that balloon land when none of the others are going to? And why is the rear view mirror completely empty? And is it me or is it impossible for two people to walk like that without tripping over? So much cut and paste, so little craft.
Comment by john February 25, 2016 @ 6:54 pm[…] worst Toyota campaign in […]
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