Toyota's 'Fun Chain' aims to convey joy of driving to youth

Client: Toyota

Campaign: Toyota Fun Chain

Agency: Six Inc (Hakuhodo subsidiary)

Market: Japan

The campaign: The 'Fun Chain' builds on a project that Toyota launched in February called 'Driving Kids With Toyota', which aims to present the enjoyment of driving to the younger generation. Its central component is a Rube Goldberg machine that spreads across a multi-storey parking space in Japan. The stunt features acclaimed driver Manabu Orido and showcases a number of vehicles including the Toyota 86, G's Aqua, G's Prius, G's Mark X, Vellfire, Harrier (a concept car), Land Cruiser 70 and Land Cruiser 200. The film is supported by a dedicated web page. It ends with the instruction: 'Don't stop playing'.

From the press release: The release notes that we "often see Rube Goldberg machine footage, but not a lot using many cars to connect to the machine. Using dominos, driving on two wheels, simultaneous drifts by 86, balloon, and all kinds of tricks, Toyota's sports cars show how cars can be a fun experience for all".

Comments: Although it clearly owes a debt to OK Go and perhaps Ken Block, we enjoyed the film. We thought the scantily-dressed models might not have been absolutely essential, but then again they do sort of go hand-in-hand with drifting. Will all this be enough to raise flagging interest in cars among young people in Japan (already a niche group)? We don't know, but we appreciate Toyota's efforts to entertain and wish them luck.

CREDITS

Creative directors: Takeshi Nozoe, Jin Saito, Taku Tsuboi, Norihiro Hieda
Directro: Tsuguhisa Tanaka
Cameraman: Toyotaro Shigemori