Sports

See All the 2019 Grand Winners in Clio Sports, Including 3 for Saatchi L.A. and Toyota

R/GA, Johannes Leonardo among top honorees

by Tim Nudd

June 14, 2019

11:00 am

3 min read

In 2015, Toyota reached a deal with the International Olympic Committee to make the automaker the official “mobility” sponsor for the Olympic and Paralympic Games from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea through the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, working with Dentsu in Tokyo, set to work creating the automaker’s very first global campaign, all centered on the idea for “Mobility for All.”

That campaign, which aimed to boost media coverage of the Paralympics and put it on equal footing with the Olympics, triumphed in a big way at the Clio Sports Awards on Thursday night, winning three Grand Clios—in Innovation; Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations; and Integrated.

Innovation

The Innovation jury recognized the campaign’s unique media buy, which encouraged Olympic broadcaster NBC to cover more of the Paralympics. It’s explained more in this case study.

“It’s never easy to completely reposition a brand. With their NBC + Paralympics effort, Toyota did it in a meaningful way and backed it up with the funding to get the message across,” says Clio Sports juror Mike Bucek, vp of marketing and business development at the Kansas City Royals.

Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations

As part of the “Mobility for All” campaign, Toyota partnered with Paralympic skier Menna Fitzpatrick, who has only 5 percent vision, to visualize for sighted audiences what it’s like for her to ski down a mountain at 70 mph. Content was posted to the Instagram account @SeeLikeMenna.

“It’s beautifully filmed and part of an overall campaign that truly serves the purpose of the new motto of the company,” says Clio Sports juror Jerome de Chaunac, managing director of the Americas for Paris Saint Germain football club.

Integrated

The overall integrated campaign, themed “Start Your Impossible,” also won a Grand Clio. It included a slew of TV spots, including the 2018 Super Bowl commercial “Good Odds.”

Nine films were distributed across seven continents, bringing to life Toyota’s expansive vision for a better future—to help people with an impairment move effortlessly throughout the world; to make smarter cars that make better drivers; and to leave a cleaner planet for future generations.

The strategy of using the Olympics and Paralympics was about connecting with fans and enthusiasts that share the mindset Toyota was seeking—people who are inspired by the passion of the Games and the stories of individual struggle. These optimists believe technology and innovation will lead humankind toward a brighter future. By connecting with them, others will follow along.

See the seven other 2019 Grand Clio winners for Clio Sports below.