Toyota mashes up race sounds and popular musician

Client: Toyota

Agency: ADK

Market: Global

Campaign scope: 'Soundscaping' collaboration with musician and producer Yasutaka Nakata.

Details: The company recorded samples during the production and driving of Toyota Racing's TS040 Hybrid, which competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Nakata wove these samples into an original musical piece that forms the soundtrack of the music video above.

The company is also releasing some of the sound samples in a high-resolution format for other artists to incorporate into their own compositions, and will have a booth at auto-sport events where people will be able to shape the sounds by moving their bodies. The work celebrates Toyota winning the WEC's manufacturers’ title in 2014.

Press release quote: “'Dive into the Hybrid' combines super-exciting racing sounds and new music by Nakata to open a new dimension in exhilaration." 

Campaign Asia-Pacific's comments: The car fans on staff indeed found themselves exhilarated by (or at least interested in) the video, with its many visual details and its multilayered soundtrack. And the company deserves to celebrate the manufacturers' title win.

The stated purpose is to communicate that Toyota's hybrid technology is "not just about eco" but also makes cars fun to drive. However, only racing fans would really know that technology developed by the company's racing unit trickles down to its production cars. So the message is probably lost on the Nakata fans the collaboration might bring in.

Also, what on earth is that at the 0:47 mark? Seriously, we're asking.

CREDITS

Agency: ADK
Campaign Director: Satoshi Otsuka(ADK)
Director: Kei Ohta(AOI Pro.)
Camera: Tomotaka Hayakawa
Recording: Yutaka Fukuoka
Music: Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE)