Toyota Australia, in partnership with indie creative HERO, has launched the new GR Yaris, including its automatic variant, to bring the brand’s rally pedigree into the everyday.
Titled ‘Nice to Know It Could’, the hero spot leverages the insight that car enthusiasts are drawn to the extreme capabilities of their performance machines, even if they’re not used. With World Rally Championship engineering at its core, the GR Yaris can tackle everything from the most unforgiving rally stages to the most regular weekday commute.
The multichannel campaign spans TV, BVOD, SVOD, cinema, digital, OOH and social, supported by gamified environments and a behind-the-scenes content series.
Shot in Williamstown and Parwan Ride Park, the 60-second hero film merges suburban and rally worlds and includes a seven-metre-high fast-food drive-through window, only accessible via a mid-air jump, among other breathtaking stunts. Directed by Sam Walker of Exit Films, the cinematic spot showcases high-intensity stunt driving set to Melbourne punk sensation Amyl and The Sniffers’ track “Hertz.”
“We set out to capture the exhilaration that comes with a car and driver moving as one. With the GR Yaris, that visceral connection is immediate and instinctive, turning even the most ordinary roads into something extraordinary,” said Vin Naidoo, chief marketing officer, Toyota Australia.
“The film is our way of letting audiences experience that sensation for themselves, not just in what they see, but in what they feel, even though the stunts are out of the realms of possibility for everyday drivers.”
“You’d never need to push a performance car like the GR Yaris to its limits during everyday driving, but there’s comfort in knowing you could rather than needing it to. We’re proud to partner with Toyota and Exit to bring this insight to life in a bold and memorable way,” said Shane Geffen, executive creative director, HERO.
The launch continues HERO’s long-standing creative partnership with Toyota across its GR portfolio, and follows a run of award wins with the C-HR Diamond collection most recently taking home Bronze at this year’s Spikes Asia and a Grand Prix at the World Independent Advertising Awards.
Credits:
CLIENT – Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Vin Naidoo – Chief Marketing Officer
Anthony Nobile – Snr Manager, Brand Communications
Stephanie Naylor – Manager Communications – GR Brand
Suhailah O’Brien – Senior Brand Specialist – GR Brand
Abbey Harrington – Senior Brand Specialist – GR Brand
Alex Verduci – Brand Specialist
AGENCY – HERO
Shane Geffen – Executive Creative Director
Andrew Woodhead – Creative Director
Mitchell Sutton – Senior Art Director
Josh Campbell – Senior Copywriter
Kean Szczur – Senior Art Director
Roz Scrimshaw – Head of Production Ken Chan – Head of Strategy
Dan Hickey – Head of Studio / Finished Art
Richard Hayes – General Manager
Gideon Nedas – Group Account Director
Annabel Ziegeler – Account Director
Issy Kelly – Senior Account Manager
PRODUCTION – Exit Films
Wilf Sweetland – Managing Partner
Alice Grant – Producer
Sam Walker – Director
Jeremy Rouse – DOP
Lucinda Thomson – Production Designer
Harry Dakanalis – Stunt Co-ordinator
PHOTOGRAPHY – Loveridge Productions
Natalie Loveridge – Producer
Easton Chang – Photographer
Joshua Stunell – Assistant Photographer
Easton Chang – Retouching
CASTING – Nick Hamon Casting
Megan D’Arcy – Casting Director
POST PRODUCTION – The Editors & ALT VFX
Eyvonne Carfora – Executive Producer
Caroline Macleod – Producer
Fergus Rotherham – Colourist
Bernard Garry – Editor
Online Artist – Heather Galvin
VFX Supervisor – Juri Bryan & Bryn Morrow
SOUND DESIGN: Rumble Studios
Liam Annert – Sound Engineer
Bec Ivanov – Producer
MUSIC: – Charmed I’m Sure
Chris Chalmers – Music Supervisor
Amyl & The Sniffers – HERTZ – Original music
MEDIA AGENCY – Spark Foundry
SOCIAL AGENCY – Havas Red
Joanne Ng – Group Account Director
Donna Flatman – Account Director
Paul Bradshaw – Videographer
