‘When it Could be a Life or Death Decision’ Toyota Land Cruiser

Global Repositioning Campaign, 1997

A BIG STORY TO TELL

Toyota has been making the Land Cruiser since 1951. It has developed an enviable reputation around the world as the definitive 4×4. The Toyota Land Cruiser is designed and built to withstand the most hostile conditions in the world and testaments from around the globe have shown that it lives up to this promise. Both the UN and the Red Cross have elected to run a fleet of Land Cruisers, as well as the Green Corps who patrol the Australian outback. It is quite simply the most robust and reliable 4×4 that money can buy.

There are two different models in the UK: the Amazon and the Colorado. The Colorado is of similar size to the Land Rover Discovery whilst the eponymously named Amazon is certainly the largest and probably the most luxurious vehicle in this segment.

Although the Land Cruiser is a major player on the world stage, it is more of a frustrated understudy in the UK. Indeed, it has hardly had the chance to take the spotlight. Communications support has been light to non-existent over the past ten years and there is low awareness of the Land Cruiser name, with even lower knowledge of the individual models.

HIGH HOPES AND A LOW BUDGET

The 4×4 market is highly competitive with a number of model offerings from all the major manufacturers as well as some smaller players. Land Rover dominates the UK market. Their 3 models account for about a third of total sales. Freelander and Discovery have the top two slots, with the Range Rover also in the top ten.

Land Cruiser has received fantastic acclaim from the motoring press in the UK, but is just not one of the first 4×4’s to come to mind. The Amazon is considered impressive, but a number of purchasers are put off by its sheer size and its premium price. The Colorado would be the perfect model for these purchasers but they are unlikely to have heard of it and tend to default to the Land Rover Discovery or one of the other better-known competitors. We needed to feature the Colorado model, but the most important issue was the Land Cruiser brand itself.

The role for advertising was to propel the Land Cruiser on to consideration lists. As an added complication, this had to be done with a total budget about a fifth of the size of Land Rover’s.

MISLEADING FACTS

Creative Planning AwardsAccount Planning Group, 16 Creighton Avenue, London N10 1NU, UK

Tel: +44 (0)181 444 3692 Fax: +44 (0)181 883 9953

Agency: Dentsu Worldwide Author:John Gregg

We searched through TGI data, sales data and a wealth of press cuttings on the 4×4 market, discovering two types of 4×4 driver. The first are rural drivers who need their 4×4 to cope with the local roads (or lack thereof). The majority, however, are metropolitan and don’t need this capability. They are affluent, mostly male, and are extremely image conscious. They are purchasing luxury vehicles with high levels of specification (leather, air-conditioning, etc.).

The competitive analysis showed that most creative work in this segment focused on outdoor ‘user’ imagery with beautiful rugged landscapes. Land Rover tended to have the most dramatic scenery and the most aesthetic settings. Jeep had differentiated their style through use of ‘Americana’ imagery and scenery. The rest of the marques tended to compete with each other to find ever more awesome mountains to showcase their product.

We needed advertising that could stand out in this crowded market. Metropolitan scenery and urban imagery had the potential to differentiate us and we had a good story to tell about the specification levels in Land Cruiser. Although this seemed like a potential route for advertising, it felt dissonant with the character and nature of the Land Cruiser brand. Furthermore, we suspected that people were buying more than just luxury and space. If that was all they wanted, they could get an MPV such as the Renault Espace or Toyota Previa for a lot less money. We had to get a deeper insight from our target audience. We decided to use a mix of focus groups and depth interviews in order to squeeze every last bit of feedback out of our respondents. We needed to find out what people would disclose outside a group scenario.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU DRIVE

Indeed, our metropolitan purchasers do the majority of their driving in town, so the off-road capabilities are reserved for weekends away and the occasional vicious kerb. Surprisingly, however, this in no way diminishes the need for off-road credentials. Our research confirmed that people are buying into the image at least as much as they are buying the more rational product benefits.

They rationalise their choice with outdoor activities, weekends in the country, driving position and a need for size and reliability, but the truth is more emotional. In reality, they want to be seen as active, outdoors types. A 4×4 reflects their success without making them seem arrogant or pretentious. They are buying an image, so it needs to be as authentic as possible. They want to know that their vehicle can genuinely go off-road and that it is respected within the 4×4 community and beyond. Authenticity applies to both the vehicle and its owner.

Although the Land Rover advertising uses impressive imagery, it’s British heritage and prominence in the countryside has resulted in it being linked most strongly with the muddy fields of England. In the minds of our respondents, it was seen as the authentic British 4×4. However, there are bigger challenges than a muddy field in England and this was the opportunity for Land Cruiser.

We took them through a series of Land Cruiser accounts from around the world. These ranged from the UN and Red Cross endorsements through to more personal accounts from owners who had survived harsh expeditions thanks to their 4×4. These inspired our target audience. They recognised how much more impressive it was for a 4×4 to be able to cope with truly extreme conditions than with the relatively mild conditions found around the UK.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Research respondents felt that, although all the advertising tended to be similar, this depiction of the 4×4 in action on a genuine landscape was crucial to proving a vehicle’s credentials. Currently, the best examples were the Land Rover Discovery and the Jeep Cherokee. They were looking for proof that the vehicle could handle offensive terrain and they wanted to see the 4×4 in action. They readily dismissed a number of executions for being ‘clearly impossible’. As one consumer said, "What’s the point if they airlift it into the shot?".

In trying to find what imagery was owned by the main brands, we made a more telling discovery. Whilst the beautiful imagery that was standard did attract the eye, so did more harsh scenery. We found that ugly, hostile landscapes not only drew people’s attention but also heightened authenticity and gave them more ‘reason to choose’. The harsher the environment, the stronger the emotional bond between driver and vehicle. A Land Cruiser in Death Valley looked like salvation. Given the accounts we had of the Land Cruiser from around the world, we found that people readily believed it could cope with these hostile environments. Ugly landscapes had far more impact than the usual 4×4 beauty shots and could outdo even the most impressive mountains.

CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE

Our conclusions from the research led us to our strategy. We found a claim that would compel people to consider Land Cruiser versus the competition and we were able to back it up with true accounts of the Land Cruiser ‘in action’. We had a detailed knowledge of the people we were talking to and how they reacted to 4×4 advertising. We knew that the location would prove critical to the success of the campaign and we had found a new ‘genre’ of landscape that would differentiate Land Cruiser. Finally, we believed that we could further build this through an attitude that reflected the tough, rugged nature of the Land Cruiser.

A TOUGH BRIEF

We set the creatives a challenge to establish the Land Cruiser as the toughest and most capable 4×4 available. We wanted to make it the only real choice for discerning 4×4 drivers.

We described the purchasers and highlighted our insight that the more ugly and forbidding the environment, the more valuable the 4×4 became. We illustrated this with pictures and quotes. We gave them the proposition:

Used in the toughest situation around the world

Our support was that around the globe, Land Cruiser has proved its credentials in genuine situations. It has proven itself to be more reliable and tougher than all the competition and this is why it is chosen time and again.

The UN and the Red Cross choose to have Land Cruisers, as well as the Australian Green Corps who officially said that "Over the years we have found the Land Cruiser more durable and more able to take the hard knocks and bumps than its competitors".

We included a number of stories from owners who have relied on their Land Cruiser during dangerous expeditions. These included a girl who crossed the Canadian Rockies in only 3 weeks and the Swiss couple who have entered the Guinness Book of Records for travelling the most miles across the most countries in their Land Cruiser.

The final key was the brand character. To ensure that the attitude of the advertising matched the

execution and product heritage, we set a tough image: Heroic & aspirational, hard as nails, trustworthy, courageous

A LIFE OR DEATH CREATIVE LEAP

When it means the difference between life and death, people across the world rely on the Land Cruiser

By carefully defining the target audience and being rigorous with our investigation of this audience, the creatives were able to develop imagery that justified the credentials of the Land Cruiser. Furthermore, we established a truly compelling reason to choose the Land Cruiser above all the other 4×4’s available. The creatives took the insight to its natural conclusion. The harshest imagery available had to be that which signified death. In these situations there was a truly compelling reason to choose the Land Cruiser above all the others.

The executions use extreme environments and dramatic language that invoke strong, positive, reactions from our target audience. They challenge consumers to consider their choice as if they were going to use the vehicle in the most hostile environments in the world. They stand out in the competitive environment and over-deliver on the consumer need to see a setting that confirms the vehicle’s credentials. They achieve all of this and remain true to the Land Cruiser brand and its heritage.

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