Toyota Markets to the Beat of a Different Drum

Brands across the globe are increasingly recognizing the difficulty of capturing consumers’ attention with traditional branded content. Today’s consumer expects richer experiences that are original, engage multiple senses, and that are actually worth their time. Brands like Toyota are well aware of this trend, and are pouncing on the opportunity to stand out among all the noise...

Last week, Toyota launched a new campaign inviting consumers to experience the sights and sounds of transforming a pile of steel into a 2015 Corolla. Featuring behind the scenes video taken at two of the automaker’s plants, Toyota teamed up with digital ad agency 360i and sound engineers from Search Party to produce a sleek collection of animated GIFs that capture the rhythmic and surprisingly melodic sounds of the manufacturing process. The campaign, cleverly dubbed “Gifony” (as in, GIF + symphony) allows users to play the GIFs individually, or select multiple clips to mash up into a custom mix of beats and imagery which can then be shared with networks across Facebook, Twitter, or SoundCloud.

What Toyota has done with this campaign is smart for a number of reasons:

1. Builds authenticity in a creative way.

The campaign features Toyota’s already existing products, facilities, and processes in a new, unconventional way.

2. Recognizes the power of music in branding.

Music is a universal language. By recognizing the “hidden” musicality of the auto manufacturing process, Toyota created a campaign that appeals to a much broader audience than a simple video tour of the facilities ever would’ve.

3. Engages the consumer immediately.

The simple interface of the site makes it easy to engage with. And let’s face it - the ability to become the DJ and create your own mash-up of audio / visual beats is just plain cool.

4. ...Which makes it share-worthy.

And that is precisely what Toyota is going for with this campaign.

As this campaign begins to make its rounds, it’s hard to say how it will play out with the Millennial generation. Gen-Yers, as Millennials are often referred to, have an affinity for unique experiences and are becoming known for their distaste for traditional marketing tactics. Will it actually help Toyota build brand affinity and move more vehicles off of lots? Maybe...Maybe not. It’s too soon to tell how it will pan out long-term, but in a recent editorial meeting to discuss this exact campaign, someone questioned the concept and three Millennials piped up and said “no, you have to see it - it’s actually pretty cool.”

What are your thoughts on Toyota’s Gifony campaign? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Rosemary's Toyota Gifony Remix: