They're All a Little Different Just Like You

A while back Toyota asked its Facebook fans and others on the web what to call the new line of Prius cars. They finally launched their first TV spots featuring the variety of cars available in the Prius lineup under the tag Toyota: Prius Goes Plural.

The new spot called "People Person" is quite interesting with a man getting ready for work built out of of several people. I say "interesting" because the ad is visually unique and catches your eye with its bright colors, light charming music, and you wonder what the man built out of men and women is doing. It's this creative interruption that makes the ad work. 

Toyota ends the spot with a line, "they're all a little different just like you." The "man" separates and people scatter to each of the different Prius cars showcasing the variety for different needs based on size and energy source. It's also the first time we get to see the Prius plug-in.

It's some great work from Saatchi & Saatchi. You can also see how the ad was made.

Automotive Brands Commemorating 9/11 on Facebook

I was curious what messages brands were putting out there today regarding the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.  Only 15% of the 45 automotive Facebook pages I reviewed marked the day with a somber, respectful message.

The good news is that I only caught one minor spat in comments on the Mercedes Benz USA fan page where one fan said it was "an inside job."  Other than that, people responded with positive appreciation or their own memory.

I definitely had a certain lens on when looking at each of the brand pages. It was just a little odd seeing the most current post promoting a new car, handbags at NY Fashion Week, or something unrelated.  Of course there is the flip-side argument where brands should just leave the topic alone and let individuals have the conversation in social media. 

Fortunately, the seven brands that did mention 9/11 did so with respect. There was only one slip-up by Acura who had a nice simple message, but then added a link to their home page which had nothing to do with 9/11; instead, it brought the user to the latest promotion for the "Newly Refined 2012 TL."

Here are the status updates from Acura, Cadillac, GMC, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz USA, and Toyota.

Who Will Exploit 9/11 for Their Own Brand Benefit?

Found this out-of-home ad from MINI.  Not sure when this ad was live, but It's interesting as the 10th Anniversary of September 11th gets closer will any automakers use it as a way to promote their products or link their brand to the event.

Please share any 9/11 automaker marketing efforts you see.

Hat tip to bNet for their article: 10 Advertising Exploiting the Sept 11 Attacks to Push Their Brands