2010 Prius TV spot

I like..... can just picture it in my mind's eye. Yes - excellent. And the spot could have been produced for 1/10th cost. But hey, we're talking Toyota Motor Co here --- loaded with yen.

Tideland - you're working yourself into a contract consultant position for Doug. You seem to have a yen for this stuff.

 

Sounds like an intro to a professional wrestling match to me. :shocked:

 

Prius commercial - short review from Adrants.com

Also has a link to the widescreen version.

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3G Prius Brings Munchkins to the Fore - Adrants


3G Prius Brings Munchkins to the Fore


Saatchi & Saatchi/LA busts out with "Harmony," a wee bit of weirdness in which a Toyota Prius drives leisurely through a dormant landscape and sets it blooming -- not just with flowers and and trees, but with what appear to be Munchkins.

The human plantlife jives easily enough with the Prius' market position as the trendy eco-lover's car of choice, but things didn't really come together until tagline time: "The third-generation Prius. It's harmony between man, nature and machine."
Then it was like, Okay, if you really wanted to go there, you may as well have used living plant people that also had machine gun arms, or manual gears instead of legs, or possibly steering wheels for heads.
But that's just us being stubbornly literal out of boredom. The ad's pretty to watch and appealing in its simplicity. It's potentially also endlessly watchable, because it stirs a few superficial feelings before disappearing on the palate, which is all the criteria a car commercial needs to meet, anyway.

 

'Hippy' is far from a bad word in my house, so I feel obliged to add my negative response to the advert as it stands.

Slap me down for getting out of line if you must Doug for opining on marketing -- I continually see people buy cars because they like the general feeling they get on the test drive, pushed to the dealer by like-minded friends; and then, a whole slew of rationalizations why *that one* was picked.

Leading rationalizations I keep coming across in Prius buyers (in no particular order):
Toys
Environment
Technology
Foreign oil independence

I'd like to see a series of adverts that enforce Prius strengths in these areas. A bit of originality in the creative message goes along with the Prius identity, but that does not mean LSD.

 

Fair enough. But frankly, you folks at PC are not at all the audience. (And I say that with the utmost respect to you!) You are all way way tuned into what its all about. The audience is someone who might be in market soon, has maybe heard of Prius, but for one reason or another just hasn't considered the car.

This is the ad that is supposed to attract attention about something new... and not in one run. They're supposed to see the ad multiple times. BTW, we will generate, like, a bazillion impressions with the campaign, which means every man, woman, and child in the US will see the ad an average of, well, a bazillion divided by a few hundred million. Whatever it is, its a lot.

So feel free to critique the ad itself. Don't critique the campaign yet. This is just the opening salvo.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

Hmmm, people that already know there is a new Prius can't figure out that a commercial is telling them there's a new Prius out, but people who know nothing at all about it are going to somehow figure that out. Interesting theory, but in any case it's a tough market for you all no matter what you do. Good luck with your elemental fusion of whatever! :cheer2:

OK, I just watched again. There is no reference to a new model other than to the "3rd generation Prius". Noone except the nutcases on forums like this knows the new Prius is the 3rd generation. I'm not sure how joe blow or aunt minnie will know there is a new model Prius out by watching this commercial, but hopefully things will build over time as the campaign rolls along.

 

marketing, and it's love of quasi-militaristic language. Ughh.

Isn't it better use of Toyota's money to squash a lousy advert idea and come up with a better one, than to "prove" the success of the original by throwing money at it ? I admit that it is too early to discount entirely the possibility that this advert series will bloom into something wonderful and dynamic. Let me just say the start was less than convincing.

 

Hey, doesn't that reminds you of how the 3G was first presented to world at Detroit?

The background projection shows b/w silhouette of the car, trees, houses, and yes those symbolic rotating wind-mills, all packaged with that catchy tune. I love that one.

Can't wait for the version with the Blue Man

 

As a soon-to-be Prius owner, I really enjoyed the commercial.

It does look great in HD! Colorful, bright, positive vibe to the max, it is a great "teaser trailer" that lets you "peek" inside the car for just a moment (I love that!), and then leaves you with the name, a thought, and a feeling of "what was THAT?" Master-stroke timing, and effective for many who remain "uninitiated" and/or "unaffiliated."

It does leave the watcher wanting more (hence the "teaser"), and I am hoping that future commercials (in quick subsequent release) will build upon the features that are new and exciting (solar roof panels, advanced technology package, MORE POWER [ARRh ARRH . . . please add in you own "Tim the Toolman Taylor" noises]) and the full "comfort and luxury" potential that this new model possesses.

This commercial spot really seemed geared to higher income folk, perhaps even those who are higher educated/highly cognitive and comfortable with more abstract aesthetics (visceral). It is conceptual, not pragmatic. And it reveals an older product as the dawn of a new era . . . that's pretty clever. It addressed a clear demographic, as all the other commercials in that time slot (excluding the Honda Insight) did.

For many of us, this is the most accessible car (maybe even the only car) we have ever seen with these features, so if the teaser covered "well-covered" ground, it definitely serves as a reintrodution of the Prius (or first introduction for many) as fresh, new . . . and soon, hopefully, with plenty of options that normally are only available on more expensive, luxury vehicles.

I appreciate the Prius as a great MPG car which has features I look forward to enjoying. Period. Though I do enjoy all these discussions

Comparing all three commercials (Four? Was the Mercury Hybrid also in there?) that aired during that show (House) that night, the Honda Insight, Ford Fusion Hybrid, and The Prius . . . my impressions:

Insight: I liked the link to "free and easy," the "common-mans hybrid" with some scruffy folks to fill the "hippi, of the earth" vibe. Other than that, pretty pedestrian, and commercial could have easily been for the 60-70's Volkswagen Beetle. Still does not hit the mainstream. Unless you are looking for a 30-40 year old Beetle. The flat contrast throughout only adds to that "old hat" look. And the bent clothes hanger inside the guitar case had me drifting off wondering who in the world would do that to their guitar. No real interior shots that I can remember (not the Insight's strong point anyway), except for the one with the guitar case (and that hanger . . . probably meant to distract me from looking at the interior more closely).

Fusion: Sorry, but this commercial killed any desire within me for this car (and the spark was there . . . now it is gone). I can't get past the dull (and dominant) front grill, and the shape of the car reminds me of (gulp) the old Ford Escort. Interior is very plush . . . but that commercial didn't show that either. Graphics were too big, bright, and detracted heavily from the vehicle (and not in a pleasant way). It is almost as if someone at Ford got hold of the Prius commercial and decided the Ford commercial "needed more color." And the wide screen distortion only emphasized the cheezy grin front grill . . . and you know my feelings on that already.

Just some thoughts. Two thumbs up . . . way up . . . for the Prius commercial: Fine family fun.

 

I like it!

 

Someone hacked the Lane Keep Assist system.

I'm only joking but I'm betting we see a video of a hacked Prius V by the end of the year, driving handsfree down a highway.

As for the commercial, I think it's hard to show the great, innovative technology that is part of the Prius because it's so well designed and unintrusive. Plus since car sales of hybrids are way down, their first pitch is going to be to faithful.

But don't worry, the YouTube video of the guy pretending to be passed out, with rubber hands on the steering wheel, barreling around a curve on the autobaun will bring the folks around.

 

That would be me. However, I don't think that the 'mental image' that some hold of me is that bad.

I think that more people are interested in the Prius because of its green image. This is not a bad thing. I also see a LOT of older people driving in Priuses, as they are incredibly SAFE vehicles, with low maintenance costs, and they hold their value -- older people seem to care more about value.

 

YOU should be working for an ad agency. Doug, if you are reading this, hire this guy.

 

Originally Posted by Tideland Prius
"How do you make America's best selling hybrid better? You make it more powerful (show 134hp on screen), more spacious (show the backseat area), cleaner (show CO2 numbers coming out of the tailpipe) and more fuel efficient (50mpg combined). You make it smarter (show PCS in action), safer (7 airbags), cooler (solar panel moonroof), more luxurious (dark grey leather seats w/nav) and above all, more affordable (*Starting at $21,000 with a disclaimer that Prius I will arrive late summer).

Prius. It's everything you expect in a hybrid. It's everything you want in a car."

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Tideland - You'd better move quickly to register your slogan - Doug may "borrow" it.

Then allow Toyota USA to use it and negotiate for a few Prii.

Although it does sound a bit familiar (perhaps a variation used for a consumer product) - I like it.