There is no shortage of bullsh*t out there about the impossibility of replacing petrol with anything that’s kinder to the planet. The jokes about electric cars have lost their oomph in the last decade or two, so now hydrogen fuel cell cars are being ridiculed.

Toyota is due to launch Toyota the Mirai fuel cell vehicle in California this October. But first it needs to obliterate the hydrogen car jokes.

Toyota’s agency, Droga5 New York, worked out that calling bullsh*t on the rumour mongers – literally – was the most effective way to do that. The agency also knew that sprinkling a little cheekiness into its film would get its point across – further and faster. So it teamed up with documentary filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock, to create the online video, Fueled by Bullsh*t. Spurlock also directed Super Size Me and Pom Wonderful Presents: the Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

“This is the beginning of the road for hydrogen, but we see the potential and we’re making a long-term investment in the future,” stated Bob Carter, senior vice president, automotive operations, Toyota Motor Sales, USA.

The four door, mid-sized Toyota Mirai delivers performance similar to petrol cars, refuels in about five minutes and travels up to 300 miles on a full tank.

“This project gave us the opportunity to dive into a world that most people don’t understand but has the potential to change our world. Witnessing manure, something most of us view as being pretty disposable, being transformed into hydrogen fuel to power a car was pretty remarkable. I think this short film is pretty compelling evidence of what could be possible in the years ahead,” Spurlock noted.

The 3 minute doco simply tells the story of a dairy farmer and mechanical engineer as they follow cow manure from cow (aka supply source) to powering the hydrogen fuel cell electric Toyota Mirai. It is the first in a series called Fueled by Everything that explores all the ways that hydrogen fuel can be created. In fact a car that runs on hydrogen, and emits only water vapour, can also get its hydrogen fuel from renewable sources like solar energy, wind and biogas from landfills.

The campaign launch through the Toyota Mirai website and YouTube with paid online media support. The Toyota Mirai site will also explain the scientific process of creating hydrogen fuel more fully, with explanations from scientists and experts in the field. This content will appear across Toyota social and media partner sites, including Forbes.com, YouTube and Hulu.

Creative credits:

Agency: Droga5 NY

Creative chairman: David Droga

Chief creative officer: Ted Royer

Executive creative director: Neil Heymann

Creative directors: David Gibson & Nathan Lennon

Digital designer: Devin Croda

Production company: Warrior Poets

Director: Morgan Spurlock

Executive producer: Jeremy Chilnick

DoP: Luca Del Puppo

Editing: Final Cut NY

Post production: The Mill

Sound: Sonic Union