I was reading The Economist online edition this morning and interrupted an article to look at the ad -- it was that compelling. The article was about Amazon wanting to be more than just a retailer so in my connective thought process, I thought the Toyota ad about wanting to be more than a car manufacturer fit right in.
The title says "aim: zero emissions" and the frame depicts a hand placed palm down and fingers spread on bare soil. I couldn't figure out how to copy it for this post so I provided the link above, which will take you to the Toyota Europe corporate initiatives aimed at informing about their initiatives on preserving the environment and green design.
Toyota maintains also a minisite that tells the story of Hybrid Synergy Drive(R). The story goes: Everyone has their reason. Some want to save gas at the pump. Some want to help save the planet. Some are intrigued by its innovative technology. A narrated video complements the words and as the site loads you will look at statistics of estimated gallons saved based on sales projections against documented standards. The site allows you to submit your reason for being interested in a hybrid.
I am a loyal Camry customer, the one I drive now is my third -- it is my third not because the other two had anything wrong with them, they would have kept going. I sold the first one when I drove a company car and the second because I liked the new model better, the design sold me. Both cars were bought back by my Toyota dealer who has made a customer for life by treating me equally well when I sold and when I purchased. Whenever I go in for servicing the staff remembers my name and makes every effort to get me on the last shuttle pick up in the afternoon so I do not need to scramble too much at work.
In other words, their story is consistent with my experience.
Then, the other day, a hybrid Camry made me literally turn my head around. It wasn't the noise, the car was extremely quiet, even quieter than mine (not a hybrid), which is so quiet that sometimes I have to turn down the volume on my music to make sure the engine is still running. It was the fact that it ran so quietly that got my attention -- the lack of noise. Think about that.
So as many unique reasons each one of us may have, this conversation around change to design our future is one worth having. Toyota's story matches my worldview.