W were inspired to shift perception of the typical Toyota Camry owner. Research that was shared with us revealed that the vehicle and it’s typical owners are seen as a reliable, efficient and smart. But, the car and its owners are perceived – by both themselves and observers as lacking spontaneity, energy and fun. We learnt that both Camry owners and prospective owners have a passion and desire for exploration and adventure but often lack the time, means or ability to act on those desires. Our branded content campaign answered the challenge by bringing the adventure to the audience in an aim to shift perceptions of the 2017 Camry.

The campaign destinations included Western Australia, Estonia and New England. The videos and photos were captured in August, the content published in October and November, and were promoted through mid-December. Each destination was presented with a high impact, full screen presentation of the VR/360-degree video, a long-form article and photo gallery on desktop, mobile web, mobile app, and VR stories app. The 2017 Camry was integrated through graphical treatments within the VR/360 video, reinforcing the message of living bold and going places. We shared the article links on Facebook and delivered the VR/360-degree video directly to our vast audience on YouTube along with the first to market opportunity to have 360-video enabled through Facebook Instant Articles. ?Editorial placements on the home page of USATODAY.com and USATODAY.com/Travel promoted each piece of content and in-article promotional units that were dynamically optimizing based on performance drove users to the content throughout the campaign.

VR/360 Degree video views, page views and social media engagement far exceeded our benchmarks.

Pioneered integration into premiere episodes of USA TODAY’s VRtually There.

Strong awareness value via earned media in coverage featuring The 2017 Camry’s groundbreaking partnership.