Toyota unveils powerful Super Bowl LV spot

(Toyota releases a powerful spot of hope)

While many automakers have chosen to sit out this year’s Super Bowl , we have heard that JEEP, General Motors and now Toyota will participate in the Big Game. Toyota comes with an emotional 60-second ad that shares an uplifting message of hope and strength.

Fuelled by the power of a family’s love, ‘Upstream’ features Team Toyota athlete Jessica Long’s incredible journey, which began when she was adopted by an American couple from a Russian orphanage. The spot takes viewers on a trip down memory lane of Jessica’s childhood, which, in turn, would help lead her to become the second most decorated Paralympian in U.S. history.“

Created by by Toyota’s agency of record, Saatchi & Saatchi, in partnership with Dentsu and directed by RadicalMedia’s Tarsem, the emotionally-charged spot features Long swimming through milestone scenes over the course of her life, starting with a depiction of the Russian orphanage from which she was adopted.

The camera then cuts effortlessly to Long’s parents (played by actors) receiving the emotional call that they would be adopting a baby girl, but with the news that her legs would need to be amputated due to a rare condition.

The scenes following show a young swimmer depicting Jessica, hands on hips ready to compete, knowing she’s different from other children, yet remaining resilient. The spot continues with Jessica competing in her quest to greatness, overcoming all obstacles as she becomes a Paralympic legend. Watch below:


ALSO READ: Complete list of all our Super Bowl coverage. Enjoy!


’Upstream’ highlights Toyota’s mission to shine a light on athletes like Jessica who work tirelessly every day to pursue their passion and inspire people around the world to reach their full potential,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “We are grateful to Jessica and her family for their willingness to allow us to share such a personal part of their story.”

‘Upstream’ will air in the first position (A) in the commercial break before the two-minute warning in the second quarter. The spot ends with the uplifting line: “We believe there is hope and strength in all of us”, referencing Jessica’s extraordinary journey, Toyota’s belief in Respect for People, and aims to inspire others.

“I love that the spot highlights not just the gold medals and accomplishments but the challenging journey to get there,” said Team Toyota athlete and U.S. paralympian, Jessica Long. “Perseverance, grit and overcoming the odds contributed to my success and my hope is that people feel inspired and uplifted by this emotional spot.”


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Toyota will also release a five-second ‘billboard’ that encourages people to think about the impact they have on those around them and follow Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Covid-19 guidelines. 

Tell us what you think in the comments section. For a complete list of Reel 360’s Super Bowl coverage click  here. Super Bowl LV airs February 7 on CBS at 6:30 PM EST, 5:30 PM CST and 3:30 PST.

CREDITS:

CLIENT: Toyota Motor North America, USA Inc. & Toyota Motor Corporation

  • GENERAL MANAGER, MARKETING SUPPORT DIVISION: Noriaki Yamashita
  • GENERAL MANAGER, PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Masao Takata
  • GROUP MANAGER, OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS GROUP: Hiroyuki Takebuchi
  • PROJECT MANAGERS, OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS GROUP: Misa Obata and Ayuko Tadatsu
  • GROUP VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, TOYOTA DIVISION: Jack Hollis
  • GROUP VICE PRESIDENT, TOYOTA MARKETING: Ed Laukes, Lisa Materazzo
  • GENERAL MANAGER SALES & MARKETING, MARKETING OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Andre Schmidt
  • GROUP MANAGER, OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC MARKETING: Dedra DeLilli
  • OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC MARKETING SENIOR MANAGER, GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS: Russ Koble
  • OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC MARKETING MANAGER, GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS: Lara Marcello, Kathi Jenkins
  • OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC MARKETING: Danielle DelVecchio

AGENCIES: Saatchi & Saatchi LA and Dentsu

  • CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICERS: Jason Schragger and Keiichi Higuchi
  • EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Fabio Costa
  • GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Marc d’Avignon
  • ACD ART DIRECTORS: Yusong Zhang, Alice Blastorah
  • ACD COPYWRITER: Britt Wilen
  • CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER: Lalita Koehler
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Rodrigo Vargas
  • SENIOR PRODUCER: Stephanie Dziczek
  • SENIOR MUSIC SUPERVISOR: Kristen Hosack
  • SENIOR PROJECT MANAGERS: Berna Dikicioglu, Ryan Ritchie
  • MANAGING DIRECTOR: Al Reid
  • GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Amy Turnbull
  • ACCOUNT DIRECTORS: Kimberly Bingham, Marco Koenig and Keitaro Nagao
  • ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR: Dylan Roley
  • CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER: Mark Turner
  • GROUP PLANNING DIRECTORS: Evan Ferrari, Keita Kimura
  • STRATEGIC PLANNING DIRECTOR: Hailey Marsh
  • SENIOR STRATEGIC PLANNER: Amanda Ephrom
  • EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: John Lisko
  • GROUP MEDIA DIRECTOR: Amy Petersen
  • MEDIA DIRECTOR: Jessica Noh
  • DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS: Kimberly Harms
  • PR MANAGER: Ava Batansky
  • GROUP DIRECTOR, EARNED MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS: Jana Hartline
  • BROADCAST TRAFFIC: Nadzyah Guillermo, Reggie Holling
  • DIRECTOR, BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Linda Daubson
  • ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Maryam Ohebsion

PRODUCTION COMPANY: RadicalMedia

  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jim Bouvet
  • LINE PRODUCER: Jeremy Barrett
  • DIRECTOR: Tarsem
  • DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Paul Meyers

EDIT: Final Cut

  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Suzy Ramirez
  • HOP/PRODUCER: Ana Orrach
  • EDITOR: Joe Guest
  • ASSISTANT EDITOR: Evan Bluestein
  • TELECINE: Company 3
  • COLOR ARTIST: Jill Bogdanowicz

VFX: Framestore

  • CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Alex Thomas
  • VFX PRODUCER: Katharine Buckley
  • PRESIDENT, ADVERTISING NORTH AMERICA: James Razzall
  • COORDINATORS: Emily Rawl, James Gemmell
  • FLAME ARTISTS: Marguerite Cargill, Carlos A. Gomez and Theo Maniatis
  • 2D LEAD: JD Yepes
  • 2D ARTISTS: Alexander Osvaldsson, Paul Krist, Michael Miller, Eva Flodstrom, Belinda Chen and Piotr Bednarczyk
  • CG ARTISTS: Andrew Thompson, Cosku Ozdemir, Kevin Gillen, Kira Yu, Marco Marenghi, Richard Shallcross, Sean Dollins, Soren Barton, Taylor Hodgson-Scott, Todd Herman and Walter Fulbright

MUSIC ARRANGEMENT & COMPOSITION: The Elements Music

  • COMPOSER: Norman Kim
  • EXECUTIVE MUSIC PRODUCER: Kristina Iwankiw

MIX & SOUND DESIGN: Lime Studios / Lime Sound Design

  • MIX ENGINEER: Matt Miller
  • ASSISTANT MIX ENGINEER: Ian Connie
  • SOUND DESIGN: Michael Anastasi
  • ASSISTANT SOUND DESIGNER: Kai Paquin
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Susie Boyajan
  • SENIOR PRODUCER: Kayla Phungglan
(Toyota releases a powerful spot of hope)

While many automakers have chosen to sit out this year’s Super Bowl , we have heard that JEEP, General Motors and now Toyota will participate in the Big Game. Toyota comes with an emotional 60-second ad that shares an uplifting message of hope and strength.

Fuelled by the power of a family’s love, ‘Upstream’ features Team Toyota athlete Jessica Long’s incredible journey, which began when she was adopted by an American couple from a Russian orphanage. The spot takes viewers on a trip down memory lane of Jessica’s childhood, which, in turn, would help lead her to become the second most decorated Paralympian in U.S. history.“

Created by by Toyota’s agency of record, Saatchi & Saatchi, in partnership with Dentsu and directed by RadicalMedia’s Tarsem, the emotionally-charged spot features Long swimming through milestone scenes over the course of her life, starting with a depiction of the Russian orphanage from which she was adopted.

The camera then cuts effortlessly to Long’s parents (played by actors) receiving the emotional call that they would be adopting a baby girl, but with the news that her legs would need to be amputated due to a rare condition.

The scenes following show a young swimmer depicting Jessica, hands on hips ready to compete, knowing she’s different from other children, yet remaining resilient. The spot continues with Jessica competing in her quest to greatness, overcoming all obstacles as she becomes a Paralympic legend. Watch below:


ALSO READ: Complete list of all our Super Bowl coverage. Enjoy!


’Upstream’ highlights Toyota’s mission to shine a light on athletes like Jessica who work tirelessly every day to pursue their passion and inspire people around the world to reach their full potential,” said Lisa Materazzo, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “We are grateful to Jessica and her family for their willingness to allow us to share such a personal part of their story.”

‘Upstream’ will air in the first position (A) in the commercial break before the two-minute warning in the second quarter. The spot ends with the uplifting line: “We believe there is hope and strength in all of us”, referencing Jessica’s extraordinary journey, Toyota’s belief in Respect for People, and aims to inspire others.

“I love that the spot highlights not just the gold medals and accomplishments but the challenging journey to get there,” said Team Toyota athlete and U.S. paralympian, Jessica Long. “Perseverance, grit and overcoming the odds contributed to my success and my hope is that people feel inspired and uplifted by this emotional spot.”


Nominate Someone You know For The Reel Black List OR Reel Women


Toyota will also release a five-second ‘billboard’ that encourages people to think about the impact they have on those around them and follow Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Covid-19 guidelines. 

Tell us what you think in the comments section. For a complete list of Reel 360’s Super Bowl coverage click  here. Super Bowl LV airs February 7 on CBS at 6:30 PM EST, 5:30 PM CST and 3:30 PST.

CREDITS:

CLIENT: Toyota Motor North America, USA Inc. & Toyota Motor Corporation

  • GENERAL MANAGER, MARKETING SUPPORT DIVISION: Noriaki Yamashita
  • GENERAL MANAGER, PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Masao Takata
  • GROUP MANAGER, OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS GROUP: Hiroyuki Takebuchi
  • PROJECT MANAGERS, OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS GROUP: Misa Obata and Ayuko Tadatsu
  • GROUP VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, TOYOTA DIVISION: Jack Hollis
  • GROUP VICE PRESIDENT, TOYOTA MARKETING: Ed Laukes, Lisa Materazzo
  • GENERAL MANAGER SALES & MARKETING, MARKETING OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS: Andre Schmidt
  • GROUP MANAGER, OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC MARKETING: Dedra DeLilli
  • OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC MARKETING SENIOR MANAGER, GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS: Russ Koble
  • OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC MARKETING MANAGER, GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS: Lara Marcello, Kathi Jenkins
  • OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC MARKETING: Danielle DelVecchio

AGENCIES: Saatchi & Saatchi LA and Dentsu

  • CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICERS: Jason Schragger and Keiichi Higuchi
  • EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Fabio Costa
  • GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Marc d’Avignon
  • ACD ART DIRECTORS: Yusong Zhang, Alice Blastorah
  • ACD COPYWRITER: Britt Wilen
  • CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER: Lalita Koehler
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Rodrigo Vargas
  • SENIOR PRODUCER: Stephanie Dziczek
  • SENIOR MUSIC SUPERVISOR: Kristen Hosack
  • SENIOR PROJECT MANAGERS: Berna Dikicioglu, Ryan Ritchie
  • MANAGING DIRECTOR: Al Reid
  • GROUP ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Amy Turnbull
  • ACCOUNT DIRECTORS: Kimberly Bingham, Marco Koenig and Keitaro Nagao
  • ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR: Dylan Roley
  • CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER: Mark Turner
  • GROUP PLANNING DIRECTORS: Evan Ferrari, Keita Kimura
  • STRATEGIC PLANNING DIRECTOR: Hailey Marsh
  • SENIOR STRATEGIC PLANNER: Amanda Ephrom
  • EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: John Lisko
  • GROUP MEDIA DIRECTOR: Amy Petersen
  • MEDIA DIRECTOR: Jessica Noh
  • DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS: Kimberly Harms
  • PR MANAGER: Ava Batansky
  • GROUP DIRECTOR, EARNED MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS: Jana Hartline
  • BROADCAST TRAFFIC: Nadzyah Guillermo, Reggie Holling
  • DIRECTOR, BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Linda Daubson
  • ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Maryam Ohebsion

PRODUCTION COMPANY: RadicalMedia

  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jim Bouvet
  • LINE PRODUCER: Jeremy Barrett
  • DIRECTOR: Tarsem
  • DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Paul Meyers

EDIT: Final Cut

  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Suzy Ramirez
  • HOP/PRODUCER: Ana Orrach
  • EDITOR: Joe Guest
  • ASSISTANT EDITOR: Evan Bluestein
  • TELECINE: Company 3
  • COLOR ARTIST: Jill Bogdanowicz

VFX: Framestore

  • CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Alex Thomas
  • VFX PRODUCER: Katharine Buckley
  • PRESIDENT, ADVERTISING NORTH AMERICA: James Razzall
  • COORDINATORS: Emily Rawl, James Gemmell
  • FLAME ARTISTS: Marguerite Cargill, Carlos A. Gomez and Theo Maniatis
  • 2D LEAD: JD Yepes
  • 2D ARTISTS: Alexander Osvaldsson, Paul Krist, Michael Miller, Eva Flodstrom, Belinda Chen and Piotr Bednarczyk
  • CG ARTISTS: Andrew Thompson, Cosku Ozdemir, Kevin Gillen, Kira Yu, Marco Marenghi, Richard Shallcross, Sean Dollins, Soren Barton, Taylor Hodgson-Scott, Todd Herman and Walter Fulbright

MUSIC ARRANGEMENT & COMPOSITION: The Elements Music

  • COMPOSER: Norman Kim
  • EXECUTIVE MUSIC PRODUCER: Kristina Iwankiw

MIX & SOUND DESIGN: Lime Studios / Lime Sound Design

  • MIX ENGINEER: Matt Miller
  • ASSISTANT MIX ENGINEER: Ian Connie
  • SOUND DESIGN: Michael Anastasi
  • ASSISTANT SOUND DESIGNER: Kai Paquin
  • EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Susie Boyajan
  • SENIOR PRODUCER: Kayla Phungglan