“Barry’s Gone Electric”: Toyota launches new campaign for its all-electric SUV bZ4X via HERO
Toyota Australia has launched its highly anticipated new all-electric vehicle, the bZ4X, on Australian shores through a nationwide integrated campaign created by independent creative agency HERO
Spearheaded by a big spot, the campaign sees a typical EV sceptic named Barry behind the wheel of an all-new Toyota bZ4X much to the surprise of the entire nation.
With award-winning Australian director Paul Middleditch from Plaza Content at the helm, the spot reassures Australians that the bZ4X is everything that they know, trust and love about Toyota, now with an all-electric engine. Building on more than two decades of hybrid electric innovation, the Toyota bZ4X is engineered to deliver the famed Toyota performance from city commutes to weekend getaways.
The campaign also launches Toyota’s bZ4X platform, Charge On, developed by the brand in conjunction with HERO.
Says Vin Naidoo, chief marketing officer of Toyota Australia: “With 25 years of electrification heritage behind it, and with Toyota’s much-loved quality, durability and reliability at its core, we are excited to introduce the bZ4X to market through a major brand campaign.”
“Our all-electric bZ range helps our customers to Charge On with confidence, knowing that your car can support you to take your next steps, for your next adventure.”
Says Shane Geffen, executive creative director, HERO: “I think we all know a ‘Barry’, someone sceptical or reluctant to convert to an EV until they find the right car. But Toyota are making it easier than ever to make the switch in style with the bZ4X and we hope our campaign inspires Australia to believe… just like Barry.”
Now live nationwide, the campaign is supported by TV, online video, PR, OOH, radio, digital and social, along with in-dealership activity.
CLIENT – Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Chief Marketing Officer: Vin Naidoo
Snr Manager, Brand Communications: Andrew Wearing
Snr Manager, Brand Communications: Anthony Nobile
Manager Communications – Passenger: Taruna Aguru
Senior Brand Specialist – Passenger: Grace Cheah
Senior Brand Specialist – Passenger: Ben Casagrande
Senior Brand Specialist – Passenger: Burhan Al-Rashid
AGENCY – HERO
Executive Creative Director: Shane Geffen
Creative Director: Andrew Woodhead
Associate Creative Director: Lee Philips
Art Director: Mitch Sutton
Copywriter: Josh Campbell
Broadcast Producer: Margot Ger
Head of Strategy: Tallon Mason-Kaine
Client Service Director: Richard Hayes
Executive Director: Charlie McDevitt
Senior Business Manager: Issy Kelly
Business Manager: Johnny Lwin
PRODUCTION – PLAZA CONTENT
Director: Paul Middleditch
Executive Producer: Peter Masterton
DP: Daniel Ardilley, ACS
POST-PRODUCTION – THE EDITORS
Executive Producer: Nicoletta Rousiano
Producer: Adrian Konarski
Offline editor: Stuart Morely
VFX: Andreas Wanda
SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC – Squeak E Clean
Sound Design: Paul Le Couteur
Music Producer: Karla Henwood
PR AGENCY – Havas Red
32 Comments
The Toyota line at the end was so cringe I vomorrhea’d
I’m stealing that word.
You have missed the point. You might find it corny, but for the mass market who might be waiting for a reason to go electric, a Toyota, with all the reassurance and reliability that means, will be all they need to know to make the leap. Such is the power of the Toyota brand.
vomorrhea’d, but that was the weekend coming out
That’s a big spot. Great casting. Well done.
Not a comment on the ad – just a comment about Toyota.
I though the Toyota CEO had just said Toyota was getting out of EV’s and moving to hydrogen.
Win the pitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AREt1dtsUUM
Love this ad. It is entertaining. The talent is great. and the car looks good! what more do you want out of a car ad?
I like the end line. I honestly would go electric if it was a Toyota. Cmon who would honestly drive a Tesla
Low bar barry
I loved it!
Why does everything from HERO have this awful yellow grade on. Topo chico is another one that comes to mind
@Bobwhiteman you sound like a disgruntled Grader that didn’t grade this job or Topo. Topo Chico was also a fantastic job that was graded perfectly! And this job also looks Ace.
Like the strategy more than the execution. Kind of felt it wasn’t big enough or zany enough to be truly entertaining.
I liked the end line. Nice spot!
It’s not as big as the big ad but it’s a pretty big ad
Physical cringe response.
This is really really bad what’s the brand whose Barry and yea we know more regular people are buying electric but this won’t do a thing for Toyota
Execution is terrible.
Hell hath no fury like a CB comment section scorned.
Great work HERO. Nice to see big ads coming back. Don’t listen to the haters. They’d kill for a brief like this.
Seriously!? WTF I just saw this spot this evening.
An ad made by a committee (where no one was brave enough, to say out loud, how average this spot is) Seriously…!?
History shows, nothing of any value has ever been created by committee… and yet, here it is…
Heroically failing at being big or funny or good
Did they shoot on a secondhand android phone?
Reference to a similar idea – check
Comments that it won’t do anything for the brand / won’t be effective because they didn’t personally like it – check
Never change Campaign Brief commentators…always amuses me how little you seem to know about what makes effective advertising
You know what could have made this spot iconic? A more interesting, charismatic lead character. Instead we get yet another inoffensive-looking white guy cast as the hero. Surprise surbloodyprise. Pop a beard on him to make him rugged and let’s all drive to yawn city. There’s no characterisation in that casting. Your average target audience is made up of a heaving mass of difference, you know. Barry is meant to be (presumably) a stuck in his ways bloke with a will (presumably) of iron. Instead we get a guy who looks like his mum irons his jeans. What about someone huge? Or bald? Or weird looking? Or a woman (gasp)? Or a person of colour (gasp)? Not very brave.
So an Electric Toyota that can’t even make it to the supermarket and back with a recharge at the supermarket… NO Thanks!
The punchline of “It’s a Toyota” is a bit hollow because the car was jointly developed with Subaru. So it’s kind of half Toyota.
I saw a guy in Queenstown NZ with a jacket like that – he was a true influencer. Power of the lumber jacket.
Kudos to Barry for continuing the trend.
Toyota adds are a joke.. the little girl with the basket ball.. just want to grab the ball an kick as far away.. an Barry.. who gives a rats about what Barry gets.. after watching these adds .. I’ll never buy a Toyota.. rant done
Toyota and traditional ICE manufacturers out here getting absolutely destroyed by Tesla’s sale figures and their strategy is simply “trust us bro… it’s a Toyota”
Eff me…
Does anyone know the name of the actor who plays Barry?