June 13, 2019 – Toyota has partnered with Conill and 8th Wall to develop an interactive augmented reality (AR) mobile ad unit for the launch of the 2020 Toyota Corolla sedan. The immersive web-based experience gives potential customers the ability to bring the car into their own environment, where they can explore the car’s features from the convenience of a mobile device.
“We always want to offer our guests a greater vehicle experience,” said Cynthia Tenhouse, Vice President, Vehicle Marketing & Communications, Toyota Motor North America. “The new generation of Hispanic car buyers are an incredibly important audience for Toyota, so we’re excited to deliver an engaging digital experience that produces a unique opportunity for consumers to visualize and engage with the greater-than-ever Corolla at the touch of their fingertips.”
The Toyota Corolla Sedan web-based AR experience initially appears as a mobile banner ad. Once clicked, the user’s camera is accessed to enable the AR experience, and a Toyota Corolla sedan appears in the user’s environment. The Spanish-language mobile ad unit includes interactive hotspots that highlight three key features of the vehicle: its moonroof, LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels. The user is prompted to explore these features up close and can even go inside the car to view its interior in 360 degrees.
“We sought to help our young Latino audience experience the Corolla sedan where they spend most of their time: on their mobile phones,” said Veronica Elizondo, Vice President, Group Creative Director, Conill. “This type of execution, without the need to download apps, goes beyond traditional media channels and reinforces Toyota’s position as leader in innovation and technology.”
The Corolla Sedan interactive AR unit is a first for the brand, as it uses 8th Wall technology, meaning the 3D model is interactive, providing users the ability to tap and turn the headlights on, open the moonroof and tap to see the 18-inch wheels turning.
“Augmented reality provides a natural and intuitive way for people to consume digital content, and brands can leverage this to build a more authentic relationship with their customers,” said Erik Murphy-Chutorian, CEO of 8th Wall. “The web-based AR experience that Conill created for the Toyota Corolla sedan using 8th Wall technology is an example of an interactive, immersive advertisement that can be experienced within the mobile browser, allowing the customer to virtually bring the product into their own environment. This not only provides important context and visualization for technical features to the user, but it helps to qualify customers before they arrive at the dealership.”
The ad unit will be served to customers in the United States with Android devices, with plans to include iOS customers later this year.
Image credit: 8th Wall/Medium
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.