H/L and Toyota Highlight Norcal’s Diversity with New Campaign

Independent media and ad agency H/L partnered with recurring client Toyota to create a series of spots celebrating the relationship between the automotive brand and the Bay Area’s robust Hispanic and Asian population. 

In Northern California, Toyota is the number-one selling auto brand, a phenomenon primarily driven by a preference for Toyota amongst Hispanic and Asian new car shoppers. This area's marvel of diversity is one of the main contributors, factoring into why Northern California Toyota’s Market Share is the highest in the nation. To honor this relationship between Toyota and its consumers, H/L created a bilingual regional campaign in English and Spanish. The campaign spans multiple channels, forging deeper bonds with multicultural audiences by engaging with them authentically and directly. This strategic creative plan resulted in a two percentage point increase to 23 percent market share among Hispanic consumers and a four percentage point increase to 19 percent market share among Asian consumers in Northern California in the last year.

Produced in close collaboration with their in-house production studio, Wolfhouse, H/L's creative development of these commercials draws heavily upon cultural insights specific to Northern California. Executive Creative Director, Dallas Baker, and Director and Cinematographer for Wolfhouse, Carlo Silvio, led multilingual teams in scripting, designing and shooting each commercial to authentically deliver the cultural messages within storylines that resonate with Northern California audiences. The commercials, “Zoom” and “Perspective” follow a Hispanic family and a multicultural friend group, respectively, with Toyota playing a key part in each story’s highly memorable moments against striking Northern California backdrops.

“Northern California is one of the most culturally diverse places in the world," says Baker. "That diversity is generational, including Toyota loyalists, and new drivers alike. It isn't enough to simply translate our commercials into different languages. Instead, we honor this region's ethnic, cultural, and demographic diversity in simple, straightforward, and relevant storytelling.”

Since 1985, H/L has been fiercely independent and committed to Make Momentum.™ The company’s strengths include local and national media activations, creative development, insights and analytics, full-scale digital and video production, multicultural marketing, and PR. H/L is headquartered in Oakland, California, with people in 22 states and offices in Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, and St. Louis. What unites H/Lers across the country is a common drive—to pioneer new ways to push clients’ businesses forward and serve its communities.