Toyota to contest Thai hatchback market with Yaris

Toyota has entered the hatchback segment in Thailand with the launch of Yaris, competing with Honda's Jazz model, which launched in the Thai market three years ago.

"The 360-degree campaign includes a 15-second teaser, followed by two versions of 30-second thematic TVCs, a 30-second radio spot, billboards, a cinema ad, BTS wraps and TV tie-ins," said Suttipong Trinate, account director, Delphys Hakuhodo Thailand, which handles the account. The TVC, titled 'Groovy day', targets an equal male/female market aged between 18 to 25 years, university students and first jobbers, living in Bangkok or other major cities. The commercial opens with a model alighting from a Yaris and transforming everyone in contact with him into someone more 'groovy and colourful'. Toyota has also embarked upon a Dentsu Thailand-created campaign which communicates the 'Total Toyota experience', rather than just after-sales or product benefits, according to Mark Grey, Dentsu strategic regional director. "The objective is to engender loyalty between Toyota users and the brand. We are also giving non-Toyota users a reason to believe that Toyota has certain advantages for them that perhaps their existing brand hasn't provided."