TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muppets gang is
in for a wild ride when they join forces with Toyota this year,
blending Toyota's exciting 'Let's Go Places' spirit with Muppets
mayhem. The collaboration celebrates the upcoming Toyota Highlander
launch and the Muppets' all-new big-screen adventure "Muppets Most
Wanted," in theaters March 21,
2014.
View the multimedia assets at:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/65250-toyota-2014-highlander/
Disney's Muppets will hit the road with Terry Crews, star of the Golden Globe®-winning
FOX series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," in Toyota's new commercial for the
all-new 2014 Toyota Highlander. The 60-second spot, entitled
"Joyride," will make its broadcast debut during Super Bowl XLVIII
on Sunday, February 2.
"Our game-day spot shows how Toyota Highlander puts the 'fun' in
function," said Jack Hollis, vice
president of Toyota Division Marketing at Toyota Motor Sales,
U.S.A., Inc. "Toyota vehicles are
built to last and can even endure the most boisterous Muppets, a
former NFL player as well as a center console full of
chickens."
With their over-the-top personalities, the Muppets teach Crews'
character a thing or two about "unborifying" his lifestyle as they
"borrow" his sweet ride, the Toyota Highlander. The spot features
humorous hijinks, dancing and surprises—and no Muppet caper would
be complete without an original song. Viewers will see that with
seating for up to eight human passengers or more than a dozen
Muppets, the all-new Toyota Highlander has plenty of room for
everything—everything except boring.
"We're always game for a wild ride," said Kermit the Frog, who
makes a special appearance in the campaign, "as long as Animal's
not driving. He doesn't quite get the whole concept of brakes."
Crews, who played six years in the NFL as a defensive
end/linebacker, is known for his roles and appearances on
television shows such as "Arrested Development" and "The Newsroom,"
and films "The Expendables" franchise, "Bridesmaids" and "The
Longest Yard."
"It's truly an honor to be a part of this wild ride with Toyota
and the Muppets," said Crews. "The Toyota Highlander is the perfect
vehicle to teach my character how to loosen up and have some fun.
Be prepared for some laughs on game day."
In addition to the commercial, the Muppets gang will provide
real-time updates as they travel to the big game in their Toyota
Highlander on February 2. Fans and
customers are invited to chat live with the Muppets on game day by
tweeting @Toyota or using #NoRoomForBoring.
The broadcast spot and social media activities were developed in
partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Conill and 360i.
"Joyride" will air during the second quarter of the game. For a
preview of the commercial, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjmwdLM478A .
Beyond the Super Bowl, the Toyota and Disney collaboration will
see the Highlander co-starring with Muppets stars from "Muppets
Most Wanted" in an advertising campaign showcasing the vehicle's
features, functionality and "unboring" personality. Starring
Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Tina
Fey, the film takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour
where they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an
international crime caper.
"We all grew up with Kermit and the Muppets, and that makes
Toyota's collaboration with Disney very special for us," said
Hollis. "The two brands share a focus on delighting guests, and
this allows us to take them along on a fun ride."
"We're excited to work with Toyota for the first time," said
Don Gross, vice president,
promotions The Walt Disney Studios. "The Muppets' classic mix of
high energy and heart matches perfectly with Toyota's spirit of
adventure, and Kermit, Gonzo and the whole gang look forward to
many zany road trips."
About Toyota
Toyota, the world's top automaker and
creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way
people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over
the past 50 years, we've built more than 25 million cars and trucks
in North America, where we operate
14 manufacturing plants and directly employ nearly 40,000 people.
Our 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.3 million
cars and trucks in 2012 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota
vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road
today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the
country, with a focus on education, safety and the
environment. As part of this commitment, we share the
company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and
trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand
their ability to do good. (NYSE: TM) For more information about
Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About "Muppets Most Wanted"
Disney's "Muppets Most Wanted" takes the entire Muppets gang on a
global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe's most exciting destinations, including
Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets
overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an
international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World's Number
One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog—and his
dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by
Ricky Gervais. The film stars
Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison
guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol
agent Jean Pierre Napoleon. Disney's
"Muppets Most Wanted" is directed by James
Bobin and produced by David
Hoberman and Todd Lieberman.
Bobin wrote the screenplay with Nicholas
Stoller, who is also executive producer with John G. Scotti. Featuring music from Academy
Award®-winning songwriter Bret
McKenzie, "Muppets Most Wanted" hits the big screen
March 21, 2014. For more information,
visit Disney.com/Muppets, like us on Facebook:
Facebook.com/Muppets, and follow us on Twitter:
Twitter.com/TheMuppets.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030501/TOYLOGO )
SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc.