Toyota launches poetic ‘Call of the Wild’ in its latest Hilux campaign via Saatchi & Saatchi NZ

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90s screengrab1.jpgSaatchi & Saatchi New Zealand has unveiled the latest Toyota Hilux campaign featuring a cast of passionate, poetic animals, as they are transported on an all-new Hilux.

The spot will premiere on Toyota’s social media channels today and will launch officially with a full page ad in the Sunday Star Times, directing people to watch the full 90″ film at 7.30pm this Sunday on TVNZ.

90s screengrab2.jpgSays Corey Chalmers, joint ECD: “Toyota has a long and rich history of creating iconic advertising around its much loved ‘ute’. From the days of Scottie and Crumpy, to the controversial but adored ‘Bugger’ commercials, to more recent campaigns featuring talking Bulls and sidecar-riding monkeys. Being given the opportunity to create the next chapter for Hilux is a real privilege and a huge honour.”

Says Guy Roberts, joint ECD: “Creating this campaign for Hilux has been an incredible labour of love, delivered by an amazing team. We hope that people enjoy it and it sells the heck out of this bloody great new ute.”

Hilux is the work-horse of heartland New Zealand and has set the benchmark for light trucks since its launch in 1976.

Says Andrew Davis, general manager marketing, Toyota: “This ute continues this legacy and also delivers on the increasing urban appetite for utes and Kiwi’s love of the great outdoors, so it was important that the latest campaign spoke to this emerging group of city dwellers. We presented Saatchi & Saatchi with a significant challenge in continuing the Hilux story, and we are excited with the final result which resets the benchmark and befits the legacy of Hilux.”     

90s screengrab3.jpgThe TV campaign was directed by leading New Zealand director, Adam Stevens from Robbers Dog. The epic film was shot on location in the Reece valley in the Southern Alps amongst other New Zealand landscapes.

Each of the animal characters including ducks, fish, deer, possums and whitebait are all CGI creations, brought to life through animation and visual effects by Alt.vfx.  

The new campaign also introduces a fresh brand positioning for Hilux which will appear across all elements of the advertising – The All New Hilux. The Benchmark. Rebuilt.

Last week, Toyota released a series of outtakes, ahead of the campaign launch.

Read the full Ode:

ODE to the Hilux

OH JOY! To be upon the new Hilux, transported.

We’ll not be hunted – but happily courted!

Inspired by you to wax lyric in sonnet,

mounted up proudly on your mighty steel bonnet!

From river to forest and fiord upon trail,

Your sweet engine purrs, refusing to fail.

Catching our eyes, foul hooked and kissed –

carry us with pride to the local taxidermist!

And even if you make a fair decent mess of us,

We’ll embrace our destiny – flattened without fuss!

Hunters, grunters and punters rejoice!

All the wildebeests and Sunday feasts yell out CHOICE!

Unbreakable in spirit, leaving other trucks bitter

It’s an honour to be transported into a piping hot fritter!

To the truck for good buggers, gear luggers and ditch diggers,

the big boat tuggers, lovers of rugger, and wild piggers!

The benchmark is back! Rebuilt to be a winner!

Raise a glass to the legend – while you have us for dinner!

It’s an honour to lie in the tray of your booty,

Hilux, you put the “ute” in “you bee-ute-y!”

Client:  Toyota New Zealand Limited

Alistair Davis – Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Davis – General Manager UV & Marketing, Executive

Susanne Hardy – Assistant Manager Marketing

Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi

Nicky Bell – CEO

Guy Roberts – ECD

Corey Chalmers – ECD

Paul Wilson – General Manager

Susie Darling – Business Director

Murray Streets – Director of Strategy

Amanda Brittain – Senior Account Manager

Executive Producer – Jane Oak

Anna Kennedy – Senior Producer

Rob Flynn – Designer

Ross Davies – Designer

Tomas Cottle – Illustrator

Production Company: Robber’s Dog

Director: Adam Stevens

Executive Producer: Mark Foster

Managing Director: George Mackenzie

Producer: Helen Hendry.

DOP: Shelley Farthing-Dawe

Editor: Stewart Reeves (Rock Paper Scissors)

Visual Effects: Alt.vfx

VFX Supervisor: Colin Renshaw

Executive Producer: Kate Stenhouse

Sound design: The Coopers

Composition: Elliot Wheeler @ Turning Studios

Photographer: Ross Brown @ Match Photography

Retoucher: Andy Salisbury