Toyota and Saatchi & Saatchi NZ have teamed up with the DRAVS, New Zealand’s Department of Recreation’s Activities, Visits, and Stuff, to promote the new RAV4 campaign.
Never heard of this kind of department before? That’s because it’s completely fictional, dreamt up by Saatchi & Saatchi and inspired by the RAV4, the original Recreation Activity Vehicle. The job of the three pseudo-government officers, Greg, Mandy and Sam, and the RAV4, is to monitor and document all Kiwi recreational activities – very fitting for a country that loves over-indexing on its many and varied ways of “recreating”.
Susanne Hardy, assistant vice president, Toyota New Zealand stated, “We know that Kiwis love the RAV4 and have done for decades. We wanted to have some fun with the name and create a campaign that all Kiwis could relate to. The summer is all about getting out and enjoying the outdoors, you could say recreating! So we wanted to bring that together with a creative element to excite Kiwis about the awesome RAV4.”
The campaign was shot against New Zealand backdrops that capture the essence of summer recreation and celebrating Kiwis’ love for outdoor adventure. The goal to entertain is front and centre of the campaign, blending humour and adventure in a way that resonates instantly with Kiwis.
The campaign kicked off with a 90-second film, supported by complementary 15-second films. Over the coming weeks, contextual videos will appear on YouTube targeted at fans of mainstream, niche and trending ‘recreations’. D-RAVS recreation-certified bumper films will also crop up in places like the cinema. The D-RAVS’ public recreational messages will also be heard on radio and seen in social.
Steve Cochran, chief creative officer, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, commented, “We have Aotearoa’s most lovable SUV alongside some lovably funny Kiwi characters doing some lovable recreational activities set in some very lovely New Zealand countryside. What’s not to love about it? We reckon Kiwis are going to, especially as they encounter more and more of the D-RAVS over time.”
The films were directed by Max Barden of Sweetshop, with stills shot by Alistair Guthrie. The full campaign has been a collaboration between New Zealand agencies, Spark Foundry, Digitas, Wright Communications, and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Lee Sunter, executive creative director, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, commented, “Creating a world like this felt more like recreation than work. A big part of that is down to Max. His vision to not only make the world feel different but also leave you wanting more was the reason we brought him onboard. And he’s also excellent at doing funny, which has been quite useful for this idea.”
Cochran added, “We reckon this is a great example of a campaign that makes entertainment its priority. That’s what we should be doing if we expect New Zealanders to stop and engage with our brand for several precious seconds of their day. And like us for it.”
Credits
Client: Toyota New Zealand Limited
Assistant Vice President: Susanne Hardy
Manager, Marketing Operations: Jamie How
Associate Manager, Marketing: Katie Craven
Product Marketing Specialist/ Marketing: Phoebe Nicholls
Creative Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi NZ
Chief Executive Officer: Mark Cochrane
Chief Creative Officer: Steve Cochran
Executive Creative Directors: Lee Sunter & Jordan Sky
Art Director: Gina Morgan
Copywriters: Zach Hall & Andrew Younge
Designers: Nina Kuzmic & Nelson Rayner
Retoucher: Nick Browne
General Manager: Susie Darling
Group Business Director: Kate Gyde
Senior Business Manager: Renee Prasad
Executive Agency Producer: Jane Mill
Head of Connected Strategy: Tim Cullinane
Production Company: Sweetshop
Director: Max Barden
Executive Producer: Ben Dailey
Producer: Jimena Murray
Cinematographer: Marty Williams
Production Designer: Bruce Everard
Wardrobe Stylist: Sarah Voon
Casting: Adrian Dentice @ Akd Casting
Editor: Tim Mauger
Colour: Alana Cotton
Online & VFX: Leon Woods
Audio Post: Liquid Studios
Sound Engineer: Craig Matuschka
Photography: Al Guthrie
Media Agency: Spark Foundry
Managing Director: Nicky Greville
Client Partner: Kelly Rosnell-Shand
Business Directors: Toby Yonge & Stacey Stephenson
PR: Wright Communications
Managing Director: Nikki Wright
Senior Account Manager: Loren Cunningham
