Toyota Australia sets history in motion in new GR Corolla campaign via Hero
Toyota has launched a new campaign for its latest model GR Corolla, featuring a live-action animated film recorded at Melbourne’s Calder Park Thunderdome, via creative agency Hero.
The main spot, ‘Metalmorphosis’, turned the racing track into a custom-built zoetrope (typically a spinning cylinder with sequenced images inside), where hundreds of illustrated frames over 1200m long were pasted along the barriers, tunnels and track.
Cameras were mounted inside and outside the car, which circled around the track at speed to capture static artwork and turn them into animated sequences.
The sequences narrate the history of Toyota Gazoo Racing, a motorsport and performance road car brand under Toyota, building up to the launch of the GR Corolla itself.
The campaign will launch today across cinema, TV, outdoor, social, direct and in dealerships.
CMO of Toyota Australia, Vin Naidoo, said: “We wanted to demonstrate how the connection between the driver and this incredible machine transcends any other driving experience, one born out of decades of Toyota Racing both on and off the track.
“The film showcases the vehicle range of Toyota Gazoo Racing, in a rewarding piece of entertainment our audience can truly feel.”
Executive creative director at Hero, Shane Geffen, added: “We were never entirely convinced that we could actually pull the idea off. It was a highly technical and ambitious project and Scoundrel proved to be one of the few production companies that believed it was even possible.”
Scoundrel director Toby Pike, commented: “It was an intricate balancing act of vehicle speed, shutter angle, frame rates, and size and distance between each illustrated frame. Having an engineer as a father has always come in handy with my physics assignments.”
Greenpeace recently reported Toyota Australia to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) about environmental claims made in the brand’s advertisements. The complaint is currently being considered by the regulator.
Credits
CLIENT – Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Chief Marketing Officer: Vin Naidoo
Snr Manager, Brand Communications: Andrew Wearing
Manager Communications – Passenger: Taruna Aguru
Senior Passenger Communications Coordinator: Ben Casagrande
Senior Passenger Communications Coordinator: Burhan Al-Rashid
Passenger Communications Coordinator: Grace Cheah
TOYOTA GAZOO Australian Professional Drivers: Harry & Lewis Bates
AGENCY – HERO
ECD: Shane Geffen
CD: Andrew Woodhead
CD: Pat Langton
Copywriter: Will Fox
Copywriter: Annie Sullivan
Broadcast Producer: Margot Ger
Head of Strategy: Tallon Mason-Kaine
Client Service Director: Richard Hayes
Group Business Director: Charlie McDevitt
Business Director: Lucy Bell
Business Manager: Johnny Lwin
PRODUCTION – Scoundrel
Director: Toby Pike
Executive Producer: Kate Gooden
Producer: Alex Tizzard
DOP: Stefan Duscio
POST PRODUCTION – Heckler
Editor: Andrew Holmes
ILLUSTRATOR – James Jirat Patradoon
ANIMATION STUDIO – Mighty Nice
SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC – Squeak E. Clean Studios
Engineer: Paul Le Couteur
BEHIND-THE-SCENES – Scoundrel
Director: Dylan Hornsby
Editor: Adrian Katz
PHOTOGRAPHER – Easton Chang
MEDIA AGENCY – Spark
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Darcy Song was a reporter at Mumbrella, covering media owners, adtech and social platforms. She left in October 2023.
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