Toyota taps Australian Paralympian's steely grit for mobility message

Saatchi & Saatchi Australia's latest Paralympics-focused campaign for Toyota is bringing the brand's 'mobility for all' message to life.

Ahead of the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, official sponsor Toyota Australia has launched an integrated campaign with Paralympian Ryley Batt called ‘Breaking Point’ that brings to life through sound and visual effects just how gritty and intense the sport of wheelchair rugby can be. 

“It’s incredible to witness what these athletes go through in a game; how hard they play and push themselves, and the force they inflict on their equipment," said Saatchi & Saatchi Australia chief creative officer Mike Spirkovski. "Their wheelchairs take an absolute battering, which our director Adam Gunser has brought to life in a very real and powerful visual story. It proves just how unstoppable these athletes really are.”

While the focus is on Batt's athletic abilities, the campaign ties-in Toyota's mobility mission with allusions to how Toyota’s Product Planning & Development (PP&D) team worked with Batt to re-engineer elements of his wheelchair to perform better. Unfortunately the short film does not make the exact changes and their impact clear, though Toyota CMO John Pappas explains: "With Ryley, we were able to find a number of new ways to continuously improve his equipment and ultimately get to a place where instead of feeling restricted by the fit, his equipment feels like a more natural extension to his in-game performance.”

Having the film's darkened pitch lit up by cars' headlights is another nice touch, bringing Toyota's participation a step closer to the training process. 

Ryley Batt

CREDITS     

Client: Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Senior Manager - Brand Management & Communications: Andrew Wearing
Manager, Marketing Communications – Brand & Commercial Vehicles: Matt Tannock
Manager, Communications – Commercial and Brand: Jeremie Smith
Senior Brand Communications Coordinator: Michelle Gulia
Senior Brand Communications Coordinator: Suhailah Davies

Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Australia
Chief Creative Officer: Mike Spirkovski                         
Executive Creative Director: Simon Bagnasco                             
Creative Director: Lee Sunter                           
Copywriter: Mac Wright           
Art Director: Anna Fullerton & Celeste Watson

Head of Design: Matt Alpass                             
Executive Producer: Lucy Trengove                               
Senior Integrated Producer: Holly De Roy         
Chief Client Officer: Ben Court
Chief Strategy Officer: Alex Speakman
Group Account Director: Damiano Di Pietro
Planning Director: Joe Heath
Snr. Account Director: Zoe Kypros
Account Director: Tom Collier                           
Account Executive: Elina Nassif

Production Company: Good Oil
Director: Adam Gunser
Executive Producer: Juliet Bishop & Simon Thomas
Producer: Tracey-Lee Permall & Simon Thomas
Post Production: Blockhead NZ
Sound House: Bang Bang Studios
Photographer: Ben Clements
Photographer: Michael Corridore @ Photoplay
Producer: Ross Colebatch