TOYOTA MATRIX C A M P A I G N

By: Emily Hazan

“ToyotaScarestheShitoutofit’sProspec4veCustomers”

V IRAL GAMES

CL I ENT/AGENCY

•  Client: Toyota Motors

•  Agency:

Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles

THE CAMPAIGN The Ask •  To promote the 2008 Toyota Matrix ‘Your Other You’ •  An interactive pranking campaign •  Transmedia experience

“empowering the customer…we wanted them to be involved and to feel like they were part of the process.”

- Dino Spadavecchia •  Print, outdoot and online video banner ads drove traffic to

the site.

THE CAMPAIGN

How it worked: •  Input personal information (phone number, address etc.) •  Choose from 5 virtual lunatics

PRINT

BANNERS

THE CONCEPT •  AnentertainandimmersivewaytointroducethenewToyotaMatrixcar.

•  Tofreakpeopleput•  Google‐Proof

Providedrealis4clivesforthecharactersEx.HeavyMetalGuy‐  Abandsite‐  MySpacepage‐  Arecorderalbum

THE BACKFIRE

PROBLEM: •  Fear of giving out other people’s information •  Allowed one to be stalked by a stranger •  Unclear about what the campaign is selling

Do you believe that Toyota made a smart choice by not

blatantly promoting the car throughout the video, or do you think they should have made it one of the bigger focuses?

THE BACKFIRE And then things got serious.. •  The complaint accuses of: (1) intentional infliction of emotional distress; (2) negligent infliction of emotional distress; (3) negligence; (4) unfair, unlawful, and deceptive trade practices, (5) false, deceptive, and/or misleading advertising; (6) violation of the Consumer Legal Remedies Act; (7) fraud; and (8) neglectful misrepresentation.

MY SOLUTION •  People thought it was too obviously fake •  Great character profiles but not the best

characters chosen.. A guy in a raccoon costume? Really? a.  Pick more realistic characters b.  Allow players to opt-out c.  Change the amount of info disclosed

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