STRATEGY
INFLUENCER STRATEGY (2025)
The Toyota Gaming Engine - Toyota
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| Title: | The Toyota Gaming Engine |
|---|---|
| Brand: | Toyota |
| Product: | Brand |
| Agency Name or Internal: | HaveYouHeard Group |
| Brand Representative/Marketing Director: | Saki Tabata, Khathochelo Mbanda |
| Agency: | HaveYouHeard Group |
| ECD: | Dan Berkowitz |
| Copywriter: | Leon van Rooyen, Que Zondi, Sumani Mjojo, Josh de Kock |
| Creative Director: | Leon van Rooyen, Roxanne Simpson |
| Art Director: | Roxanne Simpson, Wade Barnes, Nella Marais |
| Strategist: | Ryan McFadyen, Brett Bruton |
| Director: | Louw Venter |
| Producer: | Christene Saltonstall, Mahle Majola |
| Business Unit Director: | Lisa Jansen van Vuuren |
| Production House: | Pretty Neat, Your Girlfriend |
| Recording Studio: | Pressure Cooker |
| Post Production: | Pretty Neat, Your Girlfriend |
| Executive Summary: | With the advent of lockdown in 2021, most brands and advertisers circled the wagons, hoping to wait it out, while sports sponsorship ground to a halt. But Toyota was having none of it. The players may have left the field, but not our hearts. During a time when staying connected to what you love was more important that ever, Toyota was determined to find a way to keep the players playing and the fans cheering. And the recent boom in esports gave us that opportunity. We weren’t the first brand to jump on the bandwagon, but while others were chasing the pro players, pundits, and prize money, Toyota saw an opportunity to create something more meaningful—the chance to bring our fans closer than ever to the sports, players, and people they love during a time when the world seemed determined to keep them apart. The Toyota Gaming Engine is a social-first gaming platform that connects gaming enthusiast of every level—pros, casuals, and noobs—and lets them go head-to-head with their sporting heroes, online and, finally, IRL. Starting with our sponsorships on the motor course and football field, TTGE quickly grew to encompass the world of mobile gaming, and jumped the digital divide into live activations and gaming and sporting events alike, like ComiCon and the launch of the new Kaizer Chief’s jersey. Quirky and exciting twists on beloved classics and currently trending mobile games grabbed the attention of South African gamers and gamer fans alike, creating a place where everyone could connect, compete, and have fun, for the sport of it. But we had a cheat code: our influencers. For each tournament and campaign, we tapped into an eclectic mix of SA’s favourite content creators and let them go wild in our world. Flexing their thumbs alongside our players and fans, each group brought their unique styles of wit and fun to every consecutive event, building a universe of authentic content that continues to keep players coming back, time and again. Before we knew it, TTGE had organically evolved from a branded engagement platform into a unique lifestyle brand, and it was all thanks to the fans. In the last twelve months alone, we’ve received over 7000 new sign-ups, over 100-million impressions, almost 10-million views, and an astounding ROI of 11:1, and it’s still growing. |
| Additional Credits: | Influencer Manager - Brett Rogers |
| Additional Credits: | Media Planner - Laura Hall |
| Additional Credits: | Social Media Manager - Joshua Carelse |
| Additional Credits: | Community Manager - Tyrique Slingers |
| Additional Credits: | Project Manager - Sinethemba Witbooi |
