BACKGROUND:

Since the launch of our campaign in 2018, Toyota has gotten a lot of attention for our emotional Start Your Impossible Olympic and Paralympic work. We’ve created genuine relationships with Team Toyota athletes from each corner of the world. And we’ve started to tell the world about our transition from a car company to a mobility company.

As COVID hit in 2020, the world stood still. The Tokyo Games shifted to 2021, the arenas empty. No roar of the crowd. No families in the stands. Just athletes and silence — a global celebration reduced to distance and screens. But amid global lockdowns, we reminded the world of the power of resilience and the human spirit—even when the stands were empty.

Given the divisive state of the world today, we wanted to utilize this moment (Paris 2024), where the world stops to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and celebrate the optimism and the unity that the Games brings. But we haven’t created a strong enough connection to the Toyota brand.

PROBLEM:

Given the divisive state of the world today, we wanted to utilize this moment, where the world stops to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and celebrate the optimism and the unity that the Games brings. Our problem? People aren't familiar with Toyota’s spirit. More people needed to see Toyota as the joyful, creative company it actually is.

INSIGHT:

Toyota innovates with each of us in mind. No matter where you’re from. They are a global company that operates hyper-locally. Their inspiration comes from listening. They listen to you, learn from you, respect your culture and create solutions in ways that make sense for each individual.

CREATIVE IDEA & EXECUTION:

POSSIBILITY LIVES HERE

Where you come from matters as much as where you’re going.Why? Because it’s your town that made you who you are. Yes, greatness happens anywhere, but it’s your community that makes you great. Your people, your place gave you a gift. It gave you the values and support to unlock your greatness. And Toyota is part of your local community, helping you START YOUR IMPOSSIBLE

Our campaign focused on the power of local communities across the globe. Our linear video had real family members sending Team Toyota athletes off to the Games, and their local communities cheering them on. Our global print & OOH highlighted the villages, towns and cities that made Team Toyota athletes who they are today. StartYourImpossible.com served as a hub to send personalized “send off” messages to your favorite Team Toyota athletes on route to Paris, and check out their stories of how they “started their impossible”.

RESULTS:

#1 Trending hashtag during opening

+88% Paralympic interest globally

123 Million social media impressions

+83% Paralympic viewership in USA

(+16%) when it came to Brand Favorability & Athlete Support

(+19%) for Start Your Impossible: Our campaign slogan deeply resonated with viewers, successfully embodied across both marketing and ads​