Red Carpet. Green Cars.
Hard to believe it now, but when it was originally launched in 2001, the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle was not a quick seller. BIG saw the opportunity to put the Prius on the map by enrolling celebrities to drive the efficient, clean Prius to the Academy Awards instead of gas-guzzling limos. BIG paired Toyota with the environmental non-profit Global Green USA to create the Red Carpet, Green Cars campaign, leveraging the concentration of media and star power of the Oscars to build a global marketing message on the spot. Year after year, Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks and scores of other celebrities made the BIG idea a reality on Oscar night. At the peak of the campaign in 2006, BIG generated more than $10MM in media coverage and providing exposure to 200MM consumers – 2/3 of the entire U.S. Supported by BIG’s efforts, the Prius is now the best-selling hybrid car in the U.S. and the world.