Oddfellows

On the face of it, the brief seemed simple – launch Rukus by Toyota into the Australian market. However, Rukus is unlike any other Toyota. A truly niche vehicle with opinion-splitting looks,Rukus was not a vehicle that would appeal to Toyota’s typical mainstream audience. So we needed to develop a campaign that broke from the traditional mold and enticed a whole new type of Toyota buyer.

Action

Through the Oddthinking process we identified a number of key insights into our target audience – namely their desire to stand out from the crowd and their limited consumption of mainstream media. Drawing from this, the creative solution was a striking campaign that ran in highly targeted niche publications covering both print and online. Innovative outdoor and unprecedented dealer support were also utilised to create a campaign that was unlike any other Toyota launch. In March 2011, the campaign was given a reboot with the production of a 30 second TVC that was again run through targeted channels.

In a first for Toyota, the campaign was completely virtual, with all vehicle assets created in 3D. Not only did this mean more flexibility in the creative process, but it also allowed the project to get underway before the vehicle even hit our shores.

Outcome

Rukus has successfully targeted its non-traditional audience, achieving 60% conquest customers and drawing an audience younger than their traditional buyer base. The vehicle also continues to shift perceptions of the Toyota brand.

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