Late last year I wrote a post about the horrendous advertising Toyota are doing for their Camry in the US.
I talked about how it was attempting to be deep and meaningful, only to be undermined by a crap execution, especially when it’s for a model of car that is renowned for its sensibleness. I don’t mean that in a negative sense … but from the perspective that it’s a solid, reliable automobile and trying to ‘sex it up’ ends up alienating rather than inspiring.
Well, as you can see from the pic above, Toyota don’t give a shit about what I say [and who can blame them] because it appears they’re persevering with this car crash of communication.
What is it with Toyota ads and balloons?
Is it because they are both full of hot air?
And why have the owners seemingly happy to be walking towards a balloon that looks like it’s fallen from the sky?
Probably for the same reason they’ve walked off and – judging by the lit instrument panel – left their keys in their car with the engine running.
Who are these people?
I’ll tell you who they are, they’re bloody idiots.
Bloody idiots with a sexual fetish for hot air ballooning.
And what is it with that headline?
“It’s The Stops That Inspire Us To Go”.
What?
WHAT???
Apart from it being some z-grade Yoda bollocks, the fact is you can see the cars GPS is on so the happy-go-lucky couple featured in the ad aren’t some spontaneous couple, going wherever life takes them, they’re a couple of balloon groupies who planned … PLANNED … their trip.
In fact I’d go one step further.
They’re a couple of balloon groupies who chose to drive to a remote part of nowheresville to pollute the clean air with their bloody car fumes.
I wanted to say this is a perfect example of why focus groups are dangerous, but the thing is, I don’t think even a research model designed to ensure communication is bland and meaningless could have approved this.
But then, if not them, who … because the alternative is even more scary.
What’s going on Toyota?
When you say ‘Let’s Go Places’, do you mean ‘go to the bottom of the advertising barrel’?
Seriously, you’re better than this.
Your agency is better than this.
And humanity certainly is better than this.
Sort it out, because this cannot be working for you.
Toyota Corolla: For balloon fetish, air polluting fools who leave their keys in the car. With the engine running.