From its humble beginnings in the United States 60 years ago, Toyota has woven itself into the cultural fabric of America. Today with ten manufacturing facilities, 1500 dealerships and 136,000 (direct and indirect) U.S. employees, Toyota has traveled from import nameplate to industry leader.
Of course, fueling this journey was the product. Toyota in the 1950s was defined by the Toyopet Crown and the now-classic Land Cruiser. Toyota trucked through the ’60s with the Stout and Hi-lux and cruised with Corona then Corolla, which would go on to become the bestselling nameplate in the world.
The ’70s marked the launch of Cressida and Celica, not to mention the beloved (Celica) Supra. The ’80s introduced the American public to Camry, 4Runner, Tercel and MR2. The ’90s chauffeured in Tacoma, T100 pickup, RAV4, Avalon and Sienna, addressing the unique needs of the American market.
The ’00s brought Yaris, Highlander, Tundra, Sequoia and a revolutionary new market of vehicles—hybrids—a forward-thinking technology made mainstream by Prius. Toyota continued to expand its green thinking with the 2015 release of Mirai—the company’s first hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicle.
Along the winding road, the automaker has driven sales efforts with catchy campaign slogans. From “You Asked for It, You Got It!” and “Oh, What a Feeling!” to “I Love What You Do for Me, Toyota” and “Let’s Go Places,” Toyota likes marketing that moves. Who could forget the iconic “Toyota Jump” or Tundra pulling the Space Shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los Angeles?
But as technology and consumer expectations continue to transform transportation, Toyota holds fast to its commitment to innovation, looking to lead the way in autonomous vehicles, robotics, vehicle safety, and materials science through the Toyota Research Institute.
And as one of the world’s most valuable brands, Toyota aims to mirror that innovation in its marketing efforts, from its award-winning U.S. multicultural campaign Más Que Un Auto to serving as the global mobility partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and part of the IOC TOP (The Olympic Partner) and Paralympic Worldwide Partner programs.
It is these marketing programs—and beyond—that help Toyota show its continued commitment to the greater good as well as the important American values of diversity, inclusion and being forward thinkers.
Toyota’s philosophy of “Ever Better Mobility for All” sums it up: The desire to transform the way people move through the world and, in doing so, to create solutions to the mobility barriers that limit human potential.
