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4th
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It's no secret: I like to make fun of Toyota Corollas; and I'm not the only one. It's a bit of a running gag in the auto-journalism world. We poke fun at the model, particularly in the beige paint, for lack of driving, parking and auto skills in general. It's just something we do.
Despite our ribbing on the Toyota Corolla, it's about to close in on the 40-million-sold mark (since 1966). That means it's outsold the Beetle (which is close to the 22 million mark). Since the beginning of this year, Toyota has sold over 25,000 Corollas already in Canada alone. The numbers are staggering (and quite alarming for other motorists on the road...).
So, obviously their marketing gurus are doing something right. Or are they?
I recently saw a Toyota Corolla commercial that got me thinking. It didn't hit me the first time I saw the commercial, it took a few viewings. Here, watch it for yourself, first:
My first thought was: Cool shoes, dude; unfortunate choice of vehicle. Upon my second or third viewing of the commercial it hit me: What is Toyota trying to say here? That James chose the same shoes (and by association, car) as a 90-year-old woman? Um, how is that helping your case, Toyota? James gets mad props from granny on his kicks, but she doesn't even look at his car (another neg on the Corolla).
I know marketing is a complex, full-of-twists-and-turns kind of business, and I make no illusions about understanding the ins-and-outs of it all, but I gotta wonder what was going through Toyota's marketing team's brain when they came up with the Corolla grandma/shoes commercial. Especially when companies like Dodge are coming out with uber cool commercials like this:
As the fourth best-selling car in Canada, I highly doubt this one commercial will hurt the car's sales (especially since most who see it will have the first initial reaction that I did: Cool shoes, dude.). But it might, subconsciously, dissuade younger buyers from getting behind the wheel of a brand new Toyota Corolla.
I may not be a marketing guru, but I am a consumer and a potential Toyota Corolla buyer (did I really just write that?), so my reaction to their latest commercial surely isn't unique. What do you think?
Despite our ribbing on the Toyota Corolla, it's about to close in on the 40-million-sold mark (since 1966). That means it's outsold the Beetle (which is close to the 22 million mark). Since the beginning of this year, Toyota has sold over 25,000 Corollas already in Canada alone. The numbers are staggering (and quite alarming for other motorists on the road...).
So, obviously their marketing gurus are doing something right. Or are they?
I recently saw a Toyota Corolla commercial that got me thinking. It didn't hit me the first time I saw the commercial, it took a few viewings. Here, watch it for yourself, first:
My first thought was: Cool shoes, dude; unfortunate choice of vehicle. Upon my second or third viewing of the commercial it hit me: What is Toyota trying to say here? That James chose the same shoes (and by association, car) as a 90-year-old woman? Um, how is that helping your case, Toyota? James gets mad props from granny on his kicks, but she doesn't even look at his car (another neg on the Corolla).
I know marketing is a complex, full-of-twists-and-turns kind of business, and I make no illusions about understanding the ins-and-outs of it all, but I gotta wonder what was going through Toyota's marketing team's brain when they came up with the Corolla grandma/shoes commercial. Especially when companies like Dodge are coming out with uber cool commercials like this:
As the fourth best-selling car in Canada, I highly doubt this one commercial will hurt the car's sales (especially since most who see it will have the first initial reaction that I did: Cool shoes, dude.). But it might, subconsciously, dissuade younger buyers from getting behind the wheel of a brand new Toyota Corolla.
I may not be a marketing guru, but I am a consumer and a potential Toyota Corolla buyer (did I really just write that?), so my reaction to their latest commercial surely isn't unique. What do you think?