Toyota is certainly no stranger to creative commercials. Last June’s “The Pitch” was a clever ad spot starring the GR Supra that poked fun at traditional car marketing, and now, their newest commercial called “The Focus Group” features a similar premise with the new GR86 as the star. Not only that, but it showcases Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers behind the wheel of some of the Japanese automaker’s highest-performing vehicles, including actual race cars.
And oh, did we say that it also gives us a cheeky sneak peek at the new GR Corolla at the very end of the video? You can read more about the hot hatch that will be offered with variant of the GR Yari’s 1.6-liter turbo engine producing anywhere from around 270-hp to 300-hp here, but it won’t be long before Toyota formally introduces us to the latest member of the GR family that will go on sale in North America this fall, according to a recently leaked dealer document.
See Also: Toyota Taps Into The AE86’s Anime Fame With Initial D-Inspired GR86 Commercials
Back to the commercial, it starts off by picking up where “The Pitch” left off: with a brightly-colored Supra jumping off a ramp at sunset. It then cuts back to the same four characters from the last commercial overseeing a focus group for the commercial they created.
Leclerc’s eyes were darting all over his rear-view mirrors! 👀
Incredible footage from the Ferrari driver’s battle with Verstappen 😵#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/MommdvZAql
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 21, 2022
The same gag ensues from there, with the older executes pitching conservative, traditional ideas, while the younger creatives propose more thrilling ones. As each proposal from each side is made, we as the audience get to see it happen, which leads to some exciting stunts like burnouts, J-turns, and sliding around an abandoned mall alongside GR Supra drift cars. And if you’re wondering who Toyota got to do the stunt driving, look no further than their own talented Gazoo Racing drivers of Frederic Aasbø, Ken Gushi, and Jhonnattan Castro.
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Producer Elliot Blanco commented on his work on the two commercials, saying: “After such a fun and successful shoot with Toyota for the Supra doing ‘The Pitch,’ we were excited to team up again to make a follow-up for the GR86. We wanted a unique location for this one, and we’re so lucky to have found an abandoned mall outside of Chicago. With the perfect location, amazing cars and amazing drivers, we were able to push them to the limit and make an incredibly epic film; we can’t wait for the next one!”
What do you think of “The Focus Group”? Let us know in the comments.
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