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Innovation
 

LandCruiser Emergency

Toyota Motor Corporation

Issue 40 | September 2016

Agency

Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney

Creative Team

Executive Creative Director Mike Spirkovski Creative Director James Théophane Creatives V. Wassim Kanaan Guy Hobbs

Production Team

Graphic Designer Pierre-Antoine Gilles Senior Digital Designer Jake Bruce Integrated Producer Anna Warren TV Producer Michael Demosthenous Production Company Eight & Heckler Technology Partner Flinders University, Adelaide Flinders University, Lead Research Engineer Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen Flinders University, Director, Research Services Director Dr Gayle Morris

Other Credits

Managing Partner Ben Court Group Business Director Sam Jones

Date

April 2016

Background

Over 65% of the Australian continent still receives no mobile signal, an area of mostly harsh outback bigger than the entire European Union. Frequent dangers such as fire, flood, stranding, dangerous wildlife and extreme weather are made more hazardous by an almost complete lack of communications.

At the same time, Australia is the world's biggest market for Toyota LandCruisers.

Due to their legendary toughness and ability to go just about anywhere, LandCruisers are the only vehicle you'll see in many rural and remote places.

There are over half a million of them in a country of just 24m people.

Idea

If Toyota could turn the LandCruiser into a roving communications network, it could make the Outback a safer, less remote, place.

Working with open-source network experts at Flinders University, Toyota created a simple, inexpensive, signal-providing device with up to 25km range. Together these devices create a store-and-forward network of emergency signals passed from LandCruiser to LandCruiser until it gets to the nearest emergency services station.

Anyone can access the devices using an ordinary mobile phone.

Results

LandCruiser Emergency Network (LEN) launched in August 2015, with an ongoing community pilot in 50,000 km2 of remote South Australian outback. Government agencies, NGO's and emergency services have all sought to get involved.

Toyota is now looking to see if it can integrate the LEN into LandCruisers around the world.

Our Thoughts

What started as a project designed to reward driver loyalty took on an altogether wider dimension based on the simple truth: in Australia's unforgiving Outback, visitors are more likely to be closer to a LandCruiser than they are to a mobile phone signal.

Of course, the LEN project does reward driver loyalty, but it also plays to the LandCruiser's heritage and iconic status in Australia. It's hard to imagine market share going anyplace but up, while the vehicle's brand credentials are enhanced immeasurably – rugged, reliable, and it could save lives.