Toyota unveils hybrid car

Created by Dentsu Singapore, the integrated campaign will roll out in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, following its launch in Singapore last October. The campaign's primary aim is to dispel myths of hybrid cars as expensive and low-powered. Meanwhile, the actual launch of the Prius, Toyota's big-selling hybrid flagship, is slated for the end of 2007.

"Although hybrid cars are considered environmentally-friendly, at Toyota this is not sufficient (as a brand proposition)," said Yasuhiro Takh-ashi, GM, marketing sales, Toyota Motors Asia-Pacific.

"A true hybrid car should not compromise on performance."

To this end, the campaign explains hybrid technology by focusing on key selling points such as acceleration, engine power and fuel efficiency. The website, www.hybrid.toyota-asia.com, serves as the focal point of the campaign, allowing users to compare and contrast hybrid vehicles with conventional and electronic cars.

The website is supported by print, TV and on-ground communications. The campaign aims to position Toyota as the leader in hybrid technology, and bring the marque in line with its market-leading perception in North America. 

The Prius, first released out of Japan in 1997, currently makes up 80 per cent of the world's hybrid car sales, according to a spokesperson at Toyota. Half of these purchases are made in the US.

The automaker sold around half a million hybrid vehicles this year, but the region has been slow to adopt the technology. Honda is the only carmaker in Southeast Asia to offer a hybrid version. High tariffs, few government incentives and widespread unfamiliarity with the technology have hindered sales and product recognition benefits.

The automaker may also be learning a lesson from its disappointing performance in China. Though the Prius launched there two years ago, amid heavy pollution and rising gas prices, the executive vice-president of Toyota China, Yoshimi Inaba, recently admitted that it was selling less than half of its monthly target.

Sales have also been slower than predicted in the US. Every year, 15 million cars are sold in the US, but only 88,000 hybrid vehicles were sold last year. Nonetheless, sales are expected to grow to 220,000 by the end of 2006.

Meanwhile, Toyota has officially announced its intentions to sell at least one million hybrid vehicles world- wide every year in the coming decade.