Toyota SA says that in 2021 it introduced a brand-new SUV into the market in the form of the Corolla Cross.

According to the brand, there were high expectations placed on the vehicle and the 'Cross Boundaries' advertising campaign that was created for it aimed to have mass appeal across a number of target markets.

Since the launch of the locally built Corolla Cross, it has gone on to be the best-selling SUV in South Africa from the month of its launch, adds Toyota SA.

"It was important that the campaign for the Corolla Cross GR-Sport was an extension of the 'Cross Boundaries' campaign, which was conceptualised for the launch of the Corolla Cross in 2021," says Tasneem Lorgat, Toyota South Africa Motors senior manager for advertising.

Lorgat adds, "However, given the Gazoo Racing foundation that this version of the Corolla Cross was inspired by, we briefed our creative team to create a campaign, which showcased the Corolla Cross GR-Sport's capabilities while incorporating an element of sportiness into the storyline, elevating the Cross Boundaries concept even further."

The duo says that the hero content piece for the campaign is a continuation of the TV ad series created for the Corolla Cross campaign, in which the characters create map art via route tracing in their cars.

Executive creative director at FCB Joburg Tian van den Heever adds, "We wanted to expand on the world that we created with the original Corolla Cross ads. We're using the same device, but this time the stakes are higher, there's more action and we're crossing even more boundaries. Everything has been turned up a notch for the Corolla Cross GR-Sport."



However, FCB and Toyota SA say that they did not just make a TV ad for this campaign. The campaign comprises multiple touchpoints across:
  • ATL channels
  • BTL content, and
  • digital and social media platforms.  

Matthew Shafto, the copywriter for the campaign, concludes, "We wanted to really push the envelope of what we could do on this campaign. We wanted to explore the next level of crossing boundaries in order to show off the awesome Corolla Cross GR-Sport and I think we've managed to bring that to life in a really fun and engaging way across various elements."

For more information, visit www.toyota.co.za. You can also follow Toyota SA on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.