Try My Hybrid
Toyota Hybrid
Issue 31 | June 2014
Agency
Saatchi & Saatchi Norway
Creative Team
Creative Director/Copy Oeyvind Waage Creative Director Digital & Design Eiliv Art Directors Kristoffer Reppen Snorre Martinsen Art Director/Designer Linus Hjellstrom Copy Ida Fjeldbraaten Mads Roenold Digital Creative/Designer Christopher Koeltzow Digital Creative Almir Busevac
Production Team
Account Director Haagen Saether-Larsen Account Managers Magnhild Foldoey Nanna S Groenli Planner Patrik Bergfjord
Date
December 2013
Background
Even though Toyota hybrid owners were among Norway's most loyal motorists, attracting new customers was a challenge.
Perhaps Toyota owners themselves could be persuaded to lend a hand?
Idea
The campaign used real (and unpaid) Toyota hybrid owners, who allowed friends, neighbours and even complete strangers to test drive their hybrids.
The initial base of car owners was recruited through Toyota Norway's Facebook page. Then a website was established, provminhybrid.no, where people could find hybrid owners who were close geographically (through zip code) or close socially (through Facebook). They could also view videos from other test drives to get a feel for the hybrids. There was some outdoor, print and TV ads, but traffic to the site was mainly generated through digital media such as Facebook, banners and pre-rolls.
Results
More than 300 hybrid owners signed up to let people test drive their car for free. More than 1,300 people registered for a test drive and one-third of the population of Norway remembered the campaign despite its modest media budget.
170,000 unique visitors were attracted to the site and this new approach to car marketing got so much publicity that Norway's most popular morning radio show was broadcast from a Prius.
In January 2014, Auris outsold the category leader VW Golf for the first time. 84% of all Aurises sold were hybrids.
The idea was extended to a number of other markets in Europe.
Our Thoughts
The simple human truth here is that early adopters often tend to be evangelical about their choices. Hybrid owners may well be a minority group but no doubt most are vocal in talking about how they are doing their little bit to save the planet. Tapping into their green enthusiasm was brilliant thinking for while many brand ambassadors will post a comment or share a link, these brand stalwarts actually shared their cars. No testimonial is more convincing than that of the convinced user.