As a long standing sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand, Toyota is attempting to drum up some extra support for the team from Bermuda, the host country of the event, in a new campaign via Saatchi & Saatchi.
Shared via the Carribean island nation’s media, the campaign is an open letter addressed to Bermudians that draws parallels between their country and New Zealand. They include being colonised by Britain, having a city called Hamilton and enjoying fishing.
“… We could be great together,” it reads before pointing out why the team’s support needs a boost.
“We’re underdogs and frankly compared to Larry [Larry Ellison, the billionaire funder of defenders Oracle] we’re not exactly made of money.”
It also promises that if Emirates Team New Zealand wins, New Zealand will give Bermuda the North Island.
It’s supported by a video message from Toyota ambassador Marc Ellis to the people of Bermuda. Sitting on a couch and talking into the camera, he reiterates the message for Bermudians to get behind New Zealand and show the Americans what underdogs can really do.
About the campaign, chief creative officer Toby Talbot says he loves the parallels between the two countries but would love it even more if the people of Bermuda could adopt New Zealand’s amazing team in the coming two weeks to help get it over the line.
General manager of Toyota New Zealand Andrew Davis agrees, and says the action from the America’s Cup has New Zealanders on the edge of their seats and it thought it would be fun to recruit the support of Bermuda too.
He added this was the seventh America’s Cup campaign the brand has been involved in and this year’s effort aligns closely with the values of continuous improvement.
“The team has achieved remarkable success in a short time driven by imagination, experimentation and innovation – like the cyclers – and it is the people who have gone the extra mile to deliver an outstanding result,” Davis says.
Credits:
Client: Toyota New Zealand
Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand
Media Agency: Starcom New Zealand
