Because Life is Better When You’re All Together in the 2020 Toyota Highlander
PLANO, Texas (February 3, 2020) – Much to the excitement of fans across the country, the marketing campaign for the all-new 2020 Toyota Highlander has officially kicked off. The “GO HIGHLANDER” campaign will highlight the best-selling retail model in the midsize SUV segment standing apart from the rest thanks to its unique combination of power, sophistication and functionality.
The “GO HIGHLANDER” campaign for the fourth-generation benchmark SUV will feature Highlander and Highlander Hybrid models that speak to the vehicle’s performance, dramatic new design and sophisticated detailing, making it the ultimate vehicle for those who are at the center of making memories.
“We hope the campaign inspires our guests to live their lives with no compromises while going above and beyond for their version of ‘family’”, said Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “The all-new Highlander gives our guests the ability to go wherever they’re needed, which inspired the ‘GO HIGHLANDER’ campaign.”
“Heroes,” a humorous and action-packed :60-second spot featuring actress Cobie Smulders and the all-new Highlander, ran in this year’s Big Game and officially kicked off the campaign. The spot was created by Saatchi & Saatchi.
The fully-integrated Highlander campaign was developed using the Total Toyota (T²) model which provides multicultural insights aimed at a transcultural mainstream audience. T² features a blended and cohesive marketing approach inclusive of multicultural marketing, bringing together its agencies into a total market model. The T² agency team includes Saatchi & Saatchi, Burrell Communications, Conill Advertising and Intertrend, with Zenith placing TV and outdoor media buys.
Matching opening and closing sequences and production features showcase a unified style across all creative throughout the campaign spots, which are highlighted below:
In Burrell Communications’ “Top Hat,” directed by Daniel Azancot, a group of fashionable women use the all-new Highlander to ‘show up and show out’ at a premier event. In “Home Team,” a family featuring four generations and baseball legend Jim Robinson celebrates togetherness, baseball, and their proud family legacy. The spot was directed by Antony Hoffman.
“Allies,” created by Conill Advertising and directed by Albert Uria, features the unapologetic fun that comes from always being there for your group when it matters most at milestone moments such as sending a loved one off to college.
Intertrend created two Highlander Hybrid spots for the campaign: “Arrival,” where a heroine puts her cultural pride on display as she and her family shine on the red carpet; and “Sweethearts,” where an intergenerational family turns a simple trip into a grand gesture of love that will be remembered for years to come. The spots were directed by the duo known as Skinny.
In the spots created by Saatchi & Saatchi and directed by Dante Ariola, “Rocket,” features a diverse group of daring and determined young girls on an inspiring mission in their Highlander Hybrid. “Knights” highlights a group that goes above and beyond for their friend on his wedding day by giving the couple something unforgettable.
Media Placements
The fully-integrated “GO HIGHLANDER” campaign extends across linear TV, in-cinema, digital video, digital content, imedia, social media, audio, print, and out-of-home. High-profile prime and sports programming includes NBA Playoffs, ABC, CBS This Morning, ESPN Deportes, Discovery en Español, BET, Telemundo, and more. Digital content/video includes partners such as BuzzFeed’s “Worth It” Series, Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, Amazon, CNN, Hulu and Hulu Latino, YouTube, OWN, ESPN, Condé Nast, Stage13’s Family Style, People en Español + Hola Film Festival, Bleacher Report with Steve Nash, PopSugar, UPROXX, WaCow media, and more. Print includes Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Wired, Essence, and Parents Latina, among others. Social includes Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat, and Reddit. Additionally, spots will air within select movie titles in theaters nationwide.
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About the 2020 Highlander
The all-new Highlander gas models are available at dealerships now; Highlander Hybrid models go on sale in early spring. The 2020 Highlander is available in a choice of five grades, starting with a new L grade, then layering amenities and technology in LE, XLE, Limited and the top-of line Platinum. The Hybrid is offered on all but the L grade.
Key features include:
- Best-in-class MPG and range for hybrid models and largest–in-segment 12.3” multimedia display
- Standard Android Auto, Apple CarPlay®, SiriusXM®, Waze and Amazon Alexa compatibility
- Standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0)
- Enhanced driving refinement thanks to the new Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA-K) platform
- Available 7- or 8-passenger seating
- Choice of V6 or new-generation hybrid powertrain offering FWD for the first time
“Top Hat” is one of two spots by Burrell Communications as part of Toyota’s new “GO HIGHLANDER” campaign.
“Allies”, from Toyota’s new “GO HIGHLANDER” campaign, is one of two spots by Conill Advertising.
“Sweethearts” is one of two spots by Intertrend as part of Toyota’s new “GO HIGHLANDER” campaign.
“Heroes”, featuring actress Cobie Smulders and created by Saatchi & Saatchi, is part of Toyota’s new “GO HIGHLANDER” campaign.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.