Toyota Hybrid - Reality Test Drive
Toyota
Issue 54 | March 2020
Agency
Happiness Brussels
Creative Team
Executive Creative Management Karen Corrigan Chief Creative Officer Geoffrey Hantson Creative Director Philippe Fass Creatives Thomas Cappelle, Mathias Lemielle, Kenny De Thaey Copywriter NL Dee Verwaetermeulen Copywriter FR Catherine Quadens, Stéphane Opdenbosch
Production Team
Head of Production Bart Vande Maele Digital producer Julie Post Technical lead & networking Yves Baes Digital Production Bliss Senior Digital Producer Kris Van Wallendael Interactive Director Dries Schaballie VR development Stijn Huylebroeck
Other Credits
Strategy Director Isabelle Koelman Group Account Director Pascal Kemajou Account Manager Marcia Van Camp
Date
January 2020
Background
At motor shows, every car brand salesman was trying to sell their models by talking specs and features. But wouldn't it be nicer to hear it from the mouth of the real drivers themselves? And at the wheel of the cars themselves instead of under the bright lights of the motor show? That's why visitors were connected live to Hybrid drivers around Belgium, via (virtual) reality.
Idea
92% of Toyota Hybrid drivers stated that they'd never go back to driving any other car. Listening to their reasons for this would be a lot more interesting than listening to a salesman.
Introducing the Reality Test-Drive, the first virtual reality experience that used the virtual to connect to reality, bringing visitors to the motor show live and in realtime into the real cars of real hybrid drivers all around Belgium.
How? First, 360° cameras were placed on the passenger seats of the cars. These cameras were connected live to the VR headsets inside the Toyota cars at the motor show. And this allowed visitors and drivers to simply have a chat. So, it was a word-of-mouth testimonial and a test-drive all-in-one. Not so much virtual reality as a very honest "real" reality.
Results
The Toyota stand was the most visited at the Brussels Motor Show in its opening days.
Solid leads, the main KPI for car brands at motor shows, exceeded expectations.
Our Thoughts
Nobody sells a product better than a satisfied customer. Nielsen numbers proclaim that 92% of consumers believe that recommendations from friends and family are more credible than any other form of advertising. Yet, according to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, only 6% of marketers say they have mastered the art of it.
Maybe that suggests that 94% of marketers are not sufficiently confident that their products are good enough for their customers to want to talk about? If you have people who love your product and love talking about it, then let them. Full credit to the agency for getting out of the way and letting Toyota drivers do a better job of selling the car than they ever could.