Garden gnomes drive Toyota
With decorative goblins, the Japanese auto giant pokes fun at the American way of life
The Japanese car giant pokes fun at the American way of life with decorative leprechaunsBy Thérèse BalduzziTen humorous spots are being used by Toyota to advertise in America. The ads aimed at men poke fun at macho attitudes, while spots addressed to women poke fun at "family values." The four spots for the Toyota Tundra pick-up truck even feature a garden gnome made of cement. The absurd combination achieves a deliberately ridiculous effect.
The new Toyota commercials for the Tundra truck, Tacoma compact truck, Camry, Avalon and Sienna minivan were designed by Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles. These five models account for 65 percent of Toyota's annual car sales.
The spots for the Tacoma compact truck model explain in a not-so-serious way how courageous Tacoma drivers must be, for example, by showing two campers driving off bears. The Camry spot demonstrates how the car has to offer values cherished by women, such as relationship skills and "family values".
The four Tundra spots aim to counter the popular belief that imported trucks are not as strong and rugged as American ones. They highlight the technical advantages and invite visitors to take a fresh look at Toyota models. The new perspective is sometimes literally helped by an axle-high garden gnome, which thanks to its size can see the details from below. Dressed in jeans and a denim jacket and never at a loss for a witty quip, he embodies the attitude of the truck drivers and forms a counterweight to the lists of technical information in the commercials.
A garden gnome is
nothing impossible
In the "Ground Clearance" spot, a Tundra drives towards the garden gnome at great speed. While the image alternately shows the car and the garden gnome, an off-screen voice enumerates the advantages of the model. The distance of the car to the ground is demonstrated by the fact that the garden gnome can be driven over without being damaged.
In "Forklift," the garden gnome watches as a forklift loads bags of cement onto the Tundra. The off-screen voice explains the advantages of the Tundra, which allow it to hold a 2000-pound load. While driving away, the dwarf expresses his ideas for the next plans: that the driver builds him some girlfriends out of the cement. Just because the driver is single doesn't mean he has to stay single.
"Overheat" shows a tundra driving through a desert landscape, pulling an Airstream trailer along with it. This time, the garden gnome is in the truck bed, complaining about the heat. The voice off-screen explains the engine's cooling system, which allows the Tundra to hitch up a 7200-pound trailer even in the greatest heat.
The tagline at the end of each spot reads, "The Toyota Tundra. Better from the Ground up." The garden gnome also appears in the print version of the campaign.
The new Toyota commercials for the Tundra truck, Tacoma compact truck, Camry, Avalon and Sienna minivan were designed by Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles. These five models account for 65 percent of Toyota's annual car sales.
The spots for the Tacoma compact truck model explain in a not-so-serious way how courageous Tacoma drivers must be, for example, by showing two campers driving off bears. The Camry spot demonstrates how the car has to offer values cherished by women, such as relationship skills and "family values".
The four Tundra spots aim to counter the popular belief that imported trucks are not as strong and rugged as American ones. They highlight the technical advantages and invite visitors to take a fresh look at Toyota models. The new perspective is sometimes literally helped by an axle-high garden gnome, which thanks to its size can see the details from below. Dressed in jeans and a denim jacket and never at a loss for a witty quip, he embodies the attitude of the truck drivers and forms a counterweight to the lists of technical information in the commercials.
A garden gnome is
nothing impossible
In the "Ground Clearance" spot, a Tundra drives towards the garden gnome at great speed. While the image alternately shows the car and the garden gnome, an off-screen voice enumerates the advantages of the model. The distance of the car to the ground is demonstrated by the fact that the garden gnome can be driven over without being damaged.
In "Forklift," the garden gnome watches as a forklift loads bags of cement onto the Tundra. The off-screen voice explains the advantages of the Tundra, which allow it to hold a 2000-pound load. While driving away, the dwarf expresses his ideas for the next plans: that the driver builds him some girlfriends out of the cement. Just because the driver is single doesn't mean he has to stay single.
"Overheat" shows a tundra driving through a desert landscape, pulling an Airstream trailer along with it. This time, the garden gnome is in the truck bed, complaining about the heat. The voice off-screen explains the engine's cooling system, which allows the Tundra to hitch up a 7200-pound trailer even in the greatest heat.
The tagline at the end of each spot reads, "The Toyota Tundra. Better from the Ground up." The garden gnome also appears in the print version of the campaign.
