Amyl and the Sniffers, Airborne Drive-Through Run, “Boom-Gate Slalom” Headline Toyota Spot

An outback drive-through, stunt driver, and some “boom-gate slalom” are at the centre of HERO’s latest TVC for Toyota, marking the arrival of the GR Yaris in Australia.

Setting out to show what the car “is truly capable of” in the campaign, called ‘It’s Nice to Know it Could’, HERO national executive creative director Shane Geffen told LBB each of the elaborate stunts performed in the spot, including a mid-air drive-through collection, was “performed for real”.

“While there was some post-work on the environments, all credit goes to our stunt driver for pulling off the action so convincingly,” Shane said.

Directed by Sam Walker through Exit Films, who previously shot the high-octane and dynamic ‘Progress is Unstoppable’ for Formula E, the spot also features an Amyl and The Sniffers needle drop, adding punchy energy to the campaign.

The concept of taking the car to its physical limits, Shane explained, was always part of the creative idea.

“It started with a simple truth: most people who buy high-performance cars will rarely push them to their limits in everyday driving,” he said.

“But there’s comfort in knowing you could, if you ever wanted or needed to. From that truth, we leaned into blending real-world driving with the fantastical, from the drive-through burger jump to the boom-gate slalom and ice-cream squeeze.

Toyota Australia CMO Vin Naidoo added the spot captures the "visceral connection, immediate and instinctive," of the Yaris.

"The film is our way of letting audiences experience that sensation for themselves, not just in what they see, but in what they feel, even though the stunts are out of the realms of possibility for everyday drivers," Vin said.

For Shane, bringing the concept to fruition was rewarding in and of itself, but the collaboration with Amyl and the Sniffers and Sam Walker was also a highlight.

“The thrill of dreaming up fantastical ways to push the GR Yaris, and then standing on set with agency, client, and crew watching it all come to life ... that was a pinch-me moment.

“Getting the tick of approval from Amyl and the Sniffers when they saw the offline and green-lit their track was another. And personally, collaborating with director Sam Walker from Exit Films was a highlight; his care, craft, and love for the film are evident in every frame.”

‘It’s Nice to Know it Could’ is the agency’s most recent work for the auto brand since the unveiling of the C-HR Diamond Collection, Find Your Drive content series, and launch of Toyota’s first all-electric SUV last year.

The campaign is also the second unveiled by HERO in the past fortnight, following the launch of personalised audio stories to match commuter journey lengths for Mastercard.

The agency capped off the month winning the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation account following a national pitch.