Toyota casts RAV4 as antidote to modern burnout in new campaign
Toyota pays homage to the outdoor pursuit in new RAV4 campaign
Toyota has kicked off its Australian campaign for the new RAV4 small SUV, casting the model as a practical escape from the daily grind and a gateway to getting outdoors.
Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the “Long Live Recreation” commercial opens with a sequence of downtrodden Australians, including a family discarding unused outdoor gear, set against the backdrop of overwork, cancelled plans and constant phone use.
“In a world where recreation is under threat, a hero arrives to save us from too many chores, late work nights and last-minute cancellations,” a voiceover says.
The tone then shifts with the introduction of Toyota’s new SUV, the “Recreational Activity Vehicle 4”, as Mr Blue Sky plays and the characters are shown reconnecting with the outdoors.
“Made for reacreationists and the recreation-ish. So get on board, attempt the tent and inflate the inflatable. Because the all-new RAV4 is bolder, smarter, and it’s hunting unrecreation,” the voiceover concludes.
Overseen by fellow Publicis-owned media agency Spark Foundry, the campaign will run across TV, OOH, cinema, digital, radio, transit and social, and several key media partnerships.
“RAV4 didn’t just enter the SUV category, it defined what it meant to be a recreational activity vehicle,” said Mandie van der Merwe, chief creative officer of Saatchi and Saatchi Australia.
“But recreation isn’t a given anymore, it’s something we have to fight for, even if the fight is just between you, your phone and a good bag of snacks. ‘Long Live Recreation’ puts it back where it belongs, at the centre of Australian life, because RAV4 is built to get you back to what matters.”
Credits:
Client: Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Senior Manager, Marketing Operations: Anthony Nobile
Manager, Communications – Commercial & Brand: Kylie Graham
Senior Brand Specialist: Brooke Butkiewicz
Brand Specialist: Isobel Kelly
Acting Senior Brand Specialist – Media: Jess Camilleri
Agency – Saatchi & Saatchi Australia
Chief Creative Officers: Mandie van der Merwe, Avish Gordish
Creative Directors: Piero Ruzzene, Carlo Mazzarella
Creatives: William Campion, Jackson Elliot
National Director of Production: Michael Demosthenous
Senior Integrated Producer: Libby Spark
Chief Client Officer: Ben Court
Executive Planning Director: Joe Heath
Group Business Director: Zoe Kypros
Senior Business Director: Melanie Bunn
Senior Business Manager: Tish Wiseman
