Can a hologram teach a human the meaning of a “driver’s feel?” Will Jae speed to the rescue of Linh in time to save her from the clutches of the evil Dr. Synth? And do three fearless young drivers even stand a chance of running computer-driven cars off the streets of Synth City for good?
Motoring enthusiasts will have to watch “Grip: A Toyota Movie” to get the full story.
Due out November 5, the 10-minute film is the final installment of “Grip: A Toyota Story,” a three-season series that began last year as the Japanese automaker’s first use of anime in the U.S. market. Grip wound up resonating with an audience broader than the one Toyota initially had in mind, leading to the decision to invest in the film.
“Fans wanted longer-form content,” Toyota Motor North America’s VP of marketing communications Dedra DeLilli told ADWEEK. “This was a direct reaction to the response of viewers.”
With a dramatic plot and high production value, “Grip” seizes every opportunity to show its viewers that Toyota makes some fairly kick-ass rides. The series’ principal characters, Jae Kang, Linh “Nitro” Lam, and Kumail Jo, drive roaring, fast-clutching Toyotas as they pull off plenty of braking drifts, handbrake turns, and much smoking of rubber.
But while the branding here is central to the effort (think: quick cuts to the cars’ nameplates), Toyota gave Intertrend, its multicultural agency behind the work, the freedom to hire top talent—including renowned anime studio DR Movie and Aladdin director Yoriaki Mochizuki—to produce a film that could stand on its own, not just a piece of advertising.
“You can’t alienate the audience by being too in-your-face with too many brand elements,” DeLilli said. “The Toyota product is being featured and highlighted in an authentic way that makes sense within the narrative.”
Gripping New Audiences
When it debuted in 2024, “Grip” was a dedicated effort to reposition Toyota among Asian-American consumers—”showing them that we’re more than what their parents knew,” DeLilli said.
A generation ago, Toyota was essentially synonymous with the bestselling Camry. It was reliable and fuel efficient, if not exactly thrilling. “This Toyota isn’t particularly stimulating to behold—or to drive,” pronounced automotive information site Edmunds in 2000.
But in 2007, the Japanese automaker launched Toyota Gazoo Racing, a rebranding of its high-performance, motorsports arm whose racing tradition dates back to the 1950s. Gazoo Racing’s fast and powerful cars not only compete around the world but, starting in 2022, they also became available in street-legal editions like the GR Corolla, GR Supra, and GR86. These are the same cars driven in the Grip series.