TOYOTA bZ4X: The World of Asian Cinema | Creative Strategy
Toyota’s first EV, the bZ4X, needed more than a spec sheet to get noticed. It needed storytelling that didn’t whisper “we’re electric”—it needed to shout it from a mountaintop in a Bollywood ballad, a Tollywood action cut, and an E-Drama plot twist. So we turned eight EV spots into eight mini-movies, each rooted in iconic Asian genres, and made the bZ4X the unexpected hero of every story.
We didn’t stop there. We made movie posters because if you're going cinematic, go all the way. And we collaborated with Zach King to create a 15-second illusion-packed short film, merging his signature visual tricks with the standout features of the bZ4X.
The brief said: increase awareness.
We responded with a genre-bending, culturally immersive short film series designed to entertain first, sell second, and ultimately, do both.
We didn’t shoot this campaign in a forest.
There were no EVs cruising silently through mist or backed by acoustic guitar.
We shot it in the world our audience actually lives in: emotional, cinematic, and proudly over-the-top.
My Contribution
It started with a pitch: celebrate Bollywood’s unapologetic movie stereotypes. That cracked open a bigger idea of honoring iconic Asian film tropes across romance, action, drama, and satire. I shaped that expansion, co-wrote scripts, cast talent, led styling, and stayed hands-on through production and post. From the fonts to the emotional beats, I made sure the work stayed real, not recycled. I wasn’t just behind the brief. I was inside the work.
Results
200M+ impressions
75% on-target reach
+16.8% model awareness
+16.5% consideration
+12.6% favorability
Outperformed Meta and YouTube brand lift benchmarks
Why it mattered
Too often, multicultural campaigns play it safe. This one didn’t. It took risks, embraced genre, and treated culture with both respect and confidence. We honored the worlds our audiences love without watering them down, and turned a car commercial into something people actually wanted to watch. That’s why it connected. And that’s the kind of work I’ll keep showing up for.
Press: Collider, The Drum, Toyota NewsRoom, PR Newswire
Agency: Intertrend Communications