https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWG5_7nwyk
One of my favorite ads is the 2021 Toyota Big Game Commercial: Jessica Long’s Story. I think it first aired during this year’s Superbowl, and I remember my eyes were immediately glued to the screen. I was drawn to it because it was something I hadn’t seen in an ad before. At first, I thought it was a movie trailer or something, and I didn’t know what was going on because all the “locations” in the ad, such as a house and an orphanage, are surrounded by water, and sometimes submerged in water, and Jessica Long is swimming in that water throughout the ad. Jessica’s mom is on the phone with an adoption agency talking about adopting Jessica and her rare leg condition that requires both of her legs to be amputated. Jessica is swimming while this conversation is happening, and we see a glimpse into her life, as she is looking at her mom from the outside in. It sounds confusing but is really cool if you watch the ad. As I started to put the pieces together and realized it was telling Jessica Long’s story of adoption and then success, I would’ve never imagined that it was a Toyota commercial. There is not a single car in the commercial, and it’s not showing us a fantasy, but it’s obvious that it is targeting families. It shows that Toyota is a family friendly brand, that families can rely on when purchasing a car. It is also connecting sports with Toyota, which expands the demographic this ad might be targeting. There is so much emotional appeal of a family and someone’s incredibly inspiring true story that the viewer doesn’t care that it didn’t show them anything about cars, but is just so touched by the fact that Toyota would make a commercial like this. At the end, a narrator says “We believe there is hope and strength in all of us. Toyota.” It is drawing to the emotions of its target audience, and showing empathy and compassion during a pandemic when people watching might most need it. Toyota is also a Team USA partner for the Olympics, so in a way it could also be advertising the Olympics and inspiring someone to watch the Paralympics and Jessica Long, which now I will definitely be following her along on her journey.
I absolutely love this ad and agree that I always forget that it is a Toyota commercial after watching it multiple times. I think it really hits home that anyone, no matter what, can turn dreams into reality. I agree that it’s an ad for the Paralympics, but the ad is more emotional and inspirational than it is advertising the games. These feelings make it so people are not only inspired in their own lives but also, as you mentioned, inspired to follow along Long’s journey and watch her at the games this upcoming summer.
The emotional appeal of this ad is really powerful, so much so that I wonder if it is an effective ad for Toyota’s marketing purposes. If neither you or me immediately identify the story of Jessica Long with our desire or need to buy a car, is the ad actually effective? Obviously, the ad is great and powerful and the message is super important. But I wonder if the goal Toyota’s team had in mind was a success too.
I absolutely agree with what Leah said, I’m curious that the initial goal was for Toyota in making this video. In some ways it seems for focused on promoting the Olympics games than the cars, but I also wonder if the serves in the opposite, and a somewhat unusual direction, where the ad doesn’t totally entice the audience to by a car, but when the readers go to buy a car if the name Toyota being in this commercial will make the consumer remember the name and be more inclined to looking into buying a Toyota. This may be a little far-fetched, but just an idea, as I’m fairly uncertain about what the goal of the ad was for Toyota.