The original Recreational Activity Vehicle is back and ready for a new set of adventures. With the launch of the all-new Toyota RAV4, the team at Toyota South Africa Motors, together with Publicis Groupe Africa’s Studio One, set out to capture the vehicle’s spirit of freedom, capability and innovation in a light-hearted and engaging campaign.
The TV commercial opens with an energetic family setting off in their all-new RAV4, brimming with excitement for the adventures ahead. As their drive continues, more RAV4s begin to appear, seamlessly joining the journey. Soon, the road transforms into a lively convoy, catching the eyes of curious onlookers. The playful twist that follows delivers a heartwarming surprise sure to leave viewers smiling.
Peet Engelbrecht, Executive Creative Director at Studio One, explained: “We wanted to highlight a simple, universal truth: that irresistible urge to just get up and go. And what better way to capture that feeling than behind the wheel of the all-new RAV4.”
That spirit is perfectly embodied by the all-new Toyota RAV4, now officially launched in South Africa. The RAV4 combines a striking new design, advanced technology and enhanced comfort with Toyota’s renowned reliability.
Director from Darling Films, Slim, was tasked with bringing the film to life. Slim had this to say about the commercial, “When briefed by the agency, I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The script called for us to use 25 vehicles in one ad, which is something not many directors ever get a shot at. I was drawn to the distinct humour of the script that brings to life the spirit of adventure of the RAV4. It had a great twist in the tale where we follow this convoy of RAV4s to where a viewer believes an epic event is taking place, but it turns out that the convoy of RAV4s is simply heading out for the weekend, because that’s just what RAV4 owners do.”
To bring this massive production to life, we needed a great piece of music to drive the energy, so TigerFight scored a unique track for the ad, with lyrics that spoke to the idea subtly. We also needed a large cast to showcase the scale of the adventure, which means the commercial features Toyota ambassadors like Minki van der Westhuizen and pro cyclist of Team Toyota Specialised Imbuko, Marco Joubert, along with some of Toyota’s very own staff.
Rethabile Bopape, Advertising Senior Manager at Toyota South Africa Motors said, “The RAV4 brand heritage is unmistakable, it’s the world’s original Recreational Activity Vehicle, or RAV4 for short. That’s why we wanted our commercial to really talk to what people do with a RAV4 versus what the RAV4 can do. Even though the new RAV4 comes with enhanced features and an updated look along with a comprehensive lineup that includes hybrid and plug-in hybrid options*, we felt that the core of what draws people to it is not what it is, but rather where it takes you … because in a RAV4, life’s all about the weekend! That said, in our commercial we really wanted to showcase the variety of models we have in the RAV4 line-up, and since we had the ability to use 25 vehicles in one ad, we got to feature the RAV4 2.5 PHEV*, RAV4 2.5 HEV GR-S, RAV4 2.5 HEV VX, RAV4 2.5 HEV GX and the RAV4 2.0 VX.”
You can watch the ad here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKgsqgVwfaw
The advertising campaign for the all-new RAV4 extends across TV, Cinema, out-of-home, print, radio, and digital channels.
The all-new RAV4 is now available from Toyota dealerships nationwide.
*Toyota RAV4 PHEV available soon.
