Toyota: The unexpected power of truth

This case study explains how Toyota took a different approach to car advertising with its Camry model in Australia, moving away from aspirational ads to celebrate everyday men and fathers as heroes.

Toyota: The unexpected power of truth

Jason LonsdaleSaatchi & Saatchi

One Wednesday morning in June 2012, our Toyota client came to us with a problem: Despite successful marketing metrics, Camry sales were down. This wasn't good news as Camry is a business-critical flagship model.

Selling Camry was never an easy task, given that overall sedan sales had been in decline for some years as Australians increasingly opted for SUVs or sport-hatch hybrids.

The then-current ad, "Cliff Diver", was a heroic depiction of the all-new Camry. It delivered a rational, product-focussed message around quality and power, and it did so...

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