Kubota owners are a different breed, VML discovered. For them, hard work isn’t something to endure, it’s something to enjoy. So the agency turned that mindset into an emotive campaign, directed by Exit’s Noah Marshall (also the campaign’s cinematographer), and a new brand platform, Love Tough.
Rather than focusing on machinery alone, as is usual in commercial equipment advertising, the platform shifts the spotlight to the people behind it. Its commercials reward and applaud the farmers, contractors, landowners, and operators who lean into the hard part of the job, and the Kubota machines they rely on to get it done.
The campaign insight came directly from conversations with owners. In a category often defined by specs and price, Kubota customers stand apart. They’re not looking for shortcuts, they’re looking for equipment that can keep up with them, no matter the conditions.
Richard Williams, group executive creative director, VML Melbourne & Sydney, commented, “Most categories like this talk about making hard work easier. But when we spent time with Kubota owners, we realised that’s not actually what they want. They don’t want to avoid the hard part – they take pride in it. Love Tough flips the usual narrative. It’s not about escaping the work, it’s about celebrating the people who choose it.”
Mark Basile, marketing manager at Kubota, stated, “Kubota owners don’t see hard work as a grind – they genuinely love it. They’re up early, pushing through tough conditions and constantly looking for better, more efficient ways to get the job done. Our Love Tough platform reflects that mindset, and the role Kubota plays in it. It’s not just a line for this campaign; it’s a long-term brand platform that champions the people who live for tough work, and the machines and Kubota people they rely on to do it, day after day.”
The full campaign covers broadcast, social, dealership environments and on-farm executions, with work tailored for both Australia and New Zealand.
While the platform will help drive awareness and consideration, particularly in compact machinery, it has been designed as a long-term expression of Kubota’s role in people’s working lives. By leading with a human truth, rather than product features, Kubota is carving out a distinct position in a category that rarely moves beyond performance messaging.
Credits:
Client: Kubota
Marketing Manager: Mark Basile
Marketing Projects Manager: Matt Peek
GM Sales & Marketing Operations: Ian Massicks
Marketing Communications Manager: Laura Oswald
Trade Marketing Manager: Karolina Tobin
Trade Marketing Coordinator: Chantelle Bignoux
Marketing & Comms Coordinator: Sarah Meakins
Senior Graphic Designer: Masa Sato
Agency: VML
Managing Directors: Vanessa Tout & Sarah Bailey
Group Executive Creative Director: Richard Williams
Senior Art Director: Shaun Thomson
Senior Copywriter: Blair Panozza
Lead Producer: Mel Herbert
Group Account Director: Rose Suys
Senior Account Director: Jen Moffatt
Account Manager: Nick Taylor
Senior Finished Artist: Jimi Ayling
Production Company: Exit Films
Director & Cinematographer: Noah Marshall
Executive Producer: Wilf Sweetland
Producer: Tom Davies
