Toyota in Australia has launched a new Corolla campaign featuring Ninja cats, with live action on television, outdoor advertising, and an animated graphic novel online at today’s site of the day, www.corolla.com.au. “Kittens” was created to connect to a younger audience and showcase a new edge for the brand.
The Heist
The Toyota Corolla is presented as the car ‘Packed with a lil’ action’ in the first television heist, The Heist. A kitten-headed hero battles a gang of feral ninja cats to grab his supply of fish before taking off in the getaway Corolla hatchback. Look out for the placement of an iPod connected to the car’s auxillary audio connection. Interestingly, the cats in pursuit of the car don’t jump in the air in the signature Toyota fashion at the end.
Click on the image below to play the video.
“We just really wanted to make something a younger audience could be intrigued by, and sell a different side of Corolla, other than how practical it is,” says Micah Walker, Creative Director, Mojo Sydney.
The Getaway
The story continues online with ‘The Getaway’, an animated graphic novel. Here our hero kitten Max and his sidekick Misty make their way through an adventure in three parts; 9 Lives and Counting; Landing on all Fours; and, The Sound and the Furry. Car and specifications are also featured, integrated seamlessly into the story. The site includes a growing collection of downloadable media for people to enjoy.
Publicis Mojo digital creative director Joel Thomson said, “This idea felt perfect for an illustrated strip, we were confident the ad would drive lots of people online and we wanted to give them something just as cool there to get into and share. It certainly feels like a fresh move for a car site and perfect for Corolla.”
Credits
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia marketing staff included Peter Webster, Scott Thompson, Carlie Hardey, Andrew Wearing and Tim Mottau.
The Toyota Corolla Cats campaign was developed at Publicis Mojo, Sydney, by creative director Micah Walker, art director Michael Spirkovski, copywriter Grant McAloon, account service team Amanda Wheeler, Sara McConkey and Damien Pashby, planner Ian Cassidy, and agency producer Jasmin Ferguson.
The interactive site was developed by digital creative director Joel Thomson, lead creative Clint Nielsen, lead developer Hugh Campbell and digital producer Julia Prior.
Filming was shot on location in an abandoned shopping mall on the outskirts of Melbourne by director Garth Davis via Exit Films with producer Karen Sproul and director of photography Robert Humphreys.
Garth Davis said, “This idea, this film, unapologetically celebrates that rich and wonderful world of the imagination… It’s not everyday you make a little film about kitten headed people. I love the innocence of kittens, in a playfully seedy world, and how we explored a new fighting style; a hybrid of kung fu and kitten. For me, this film ultimately reflects the easy going fun and adrenalin of Corolla… I love it, and am very excited about tickling people’s minds.”
Post production was done at Animal Logic under the leadership of Colin Renshaw. Editor was Jo Scott at Digital Pictures, Melbourne.
Music was licensed via Level 2 Music by Carl Richter. Sound was mixed at Nylon Studios.
“Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube (HD)”
Ok…. where is the image?
Hmmm… this must be a copy from another blogger that copied from another blogger that copied from another blogger which is now pasted on this blogger.
Rimtuck – if you can’t see the image maybe you need to install or update Flash player
Do you know who the editor was on this?
Do you think you could get the HD version of the Extended Version of this ad? It goes for 1 min.
editor? anyone?
Total irrelevance so far as Toyota Corollas are concerned. Do they have engines? Can they improve economy?
Ninja Cats, for crying out loud!
The editor, like the creator et al, should get a kick in the Kyber!
That is really fun. It gives a connotation that it's the counterpart of jaguar when it comes to Asian cars.