Toyota: ANNOY

Credits & Description:

Category: Charities, Public Health & Safety, Public Awareness Messages

Advertiser: TOYOTA

Product/Service: SEAT BELT SAFETY

Agency: NICKELODEON CREATIVE ADVERTISING

Date of First Appearance: Mar 3 2011

Entrant Company: NICKELODEON CREATIVE ADVERTISING, New York, USA

Director: Mike Bigelow (Gartner Films)

Executive Producer: Elaine Behnken (Gartner Films)

VP, Creative Director: Pete Johnson (Nickelodeon Creative Advertising)

Associate Creative Director: Juan Carlos Gutierrez (Nickelodeon Creative Advertising)

Associate Creative Director: Jared Elliott (Nickelodeon Creative Advertising)

Executive Producer: Hafeez Saheed (Nickelodeon Creative Advertising)

Copywriter: Greg Alkalay (Nickelodeon Creative Advertising)

Copywriter: Darren Farrell (Nickelodeon Creative Advertising)

Editor: Bill Cramer (Crew Cuts)

Asst. Producer: Christopher Ransdell (Nickelodeon Creative Advertising)

Media placement: Television- 1 Spot - Television Comercial - March 2011



Insights, Strategy & the Idea

In early 2010 Toyota was reeling from an unprecedented PR crisis due to problems with several of their most popular, family-friendly models. Problems with the accelerator pedal and braking systems on the Camry, Corolla and Highlander led to several product recalls. For the first time in company history, Toyota found itself trying to manage perception problems that pertained to safety and unreliability.



By partnering with Nickelodeon, Toyota sought to:

• Create a positive association with their brand.

• Deliver vehicle safety messaging in a way that was relevant to our company family audience.

A :30 PSA-inspired Custom Spot was created to convey this messaging.



Creative Execution



Toyota sought to target families with young children, (in car seats and possibly booster seats), concerned with vehicle safety.



In 2010, Toyota was named #7 of the top ten most-trusted brands in the US*- the only automaker on this list. This success can be attributed to years of producing top-rated, affordable and comfortable vehicles that were accessible to families.

Our company has been a leader in the Family category for the past thirty years. We are the most widely distributed channel in the world, and connect with both kids and parents. We have been the #1 network for Kids 2-11 for over fifteen years. Nick @ Nite is a consistently strong performer with Women aged 18-49 and is a frequent source of entertainment for Parents in the target audience. Our networks entertain, inform and educate families on a regular basis- we are Mom and Dad’s favorite helper!



The target audience is familiar with Nickelodeon’s array of networks and has an affinity for the brand. They consider us to be knowledgeable about all aspects of family life and a trusted voice in this category.



Explain the unique insight that shaped the idea.

Car and Booster seats are an aspect of child car safety that can be intimidating for parents. Each state has it’s own distinctive set of laws regarding this matter, it can be overwhelming to understand what is required.



This audience is in the throes of the hustle and bustle involved with raising a growing family. There are Doctor’s appointments, play dates, soccer practice, ballet class and more to think about. While child car safety is a general area of concern for parents, the specifics might not be top of mind.



Nickelodeon did not want to create a traditional PSA, as such an effort would be too clichéd to capture our audience’s attention. Toyota was unsure if this audience would be receptive to hearing from their brand, due to it’s freshly tarnished reputation.



Results and Effectiveness

This spot helped to inaugurate the restoration of Toyota’s reputation as a safe, family-friendly brand of vehicles. The public was receptive to hearing Toyota’s message regarding safety. The brand was reintroduced into consideration for growing families looking for a vehicle that meets their safety needs.The Transportation Secretary of the U.S. complimented Toyota on their efforts to encourage safety after viewing the campaign. Toyota initiated a press story to be developed for this campaign. The client has also reached out to us to do future custom spots and collaborations.Specific sales figures were not available, but year over year sales of most family-friendly models have increased in double-digit percentages. Domestic sales supported the company’s global sales, which grew 8% in 2010 on a group-wide basis. As a result, Toyota has been able to maintain it’s position the world's top automaker.