Presswatch: Toyota - 'Car range'

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Andrew Power, Head of press, Starcom Mediavest

August 25, 2004

How long?

1 minute

Presswatch: Toyota - 'Car range'

When I was asked to write an article on one of the top 20 press spenders of July (retailer heaven!), I didn't feel any real excitement. Then I spotted Toyota on the list and thought: cars, they're sexy, I'll write about them, because they're at risk of becoming boring just like all the retailers. Cars are supposed to be aspirational desires of passion. To quote the film Crazy People: 'Jaguar, for men who like hand jobs from beautiful women they hardly know.' That's it. That's why people buy cars - because they emotionally feel something that catches their imagination and feeds their desires. That's for me! That brand says me!

I don't care whether you're a young male or female, or a 2.4 family; your second-biggest purchase should still say what you're about. Who wants to be average? So why do we see more car ads like Toyota's uninspiring 'Car Range'? Why? Because of high production levels and stiff competition.

Six cars on one ad, all different and all offering everything free - air-con, insurance, CD player. They're all finance-driven, yet we're purchasing something we love.

To be fair to Toyota, at least the cars are photo-graphed in situ on the road in an attempt to create some feeling. Others don't even seem to try. They think placing several cars on a page will maximise their investment, but all that says is 'we're cheap'.

That may be Toyota's USP but it doesn't create any emotional contact.

It's come to the point where car marques have become like retailers and turned into just more wallpaper that our subconscious will block out.

Consumers are brand-conscious and news-papers have become more flexible about unconventional sizes if you plan in advance. The Newspaper Marketing Agency must shake its head when it sees these ads. After all, press is only a tertiary medium if you treat it as one.

I'd like to see more car advertisers using more challenging unconventional sizes and using sections of newspapers other than main news, where readers' interests will be at their maximum and press buyers can strike deals.

Make your brands aspirational and let The Fast Show's Swiss Toni do the hard sell, because 'a man doesn't walk onto the lot if he's not looking to buy'.

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