Just a Reminder About the ‘Genuine Article’

Advertiser: Toyota Motor Sales

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles

Challenge: Find a fresh way to pitch the familiar 4Runner sport-utility.

The Ads: Television ads portray the 4Runner as a good value and a ticket to adventure. In one commercial, a man longs for the mountains after spotting a pine-scented air freshener in a convenience store. So he hops in his 4Runner and heads to the hills, where he grabs a sprig of pine and hangs it from his rearview mirror. The voice-over notes that there’s no “substitute for the genuine article.” A second ad takes place at a fictitious SUV Mart (actually a former Ralphs supermarket in Covina), where budget-conscious car owners push carts through the aisles, searching for deals on air-conditioning units, wheel rims and other extras. The point: Toyota offers a discounted options package on the 4Runner.

Comment: There’s no big news here. The ads serve to remind consumers about the 4Runner, the leading import in the compact sport-utility category. Toyota plans to update the 4Runner with a new four-wheel drive system and some cosmetic touches in mid-1999. Forecasters like J.D. Power & Associates expect 4Runner to show a small uptick in market share for 1999.

$$+

Ads are rated from $ to $$$$, based on tastefulness and probably effectiveness, with $$$$ being highest.