Bugger me, Toyota’s iconic advertising line returns

Toyota’s iconic line is back in a new tongue-in-cheek campaign for the HiLux, as the brand seeks to regain its crown as Australia’s best selling ute.

Toyota’s new Don’t Send a Ute to do a HiLux Job campaign was created by its longstanding advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi.

Bugger! Toyota’s iconic advertising line and mud-splattered kelpie are back in the automotive brand’s new campaign to promote the HiLux ute.

The new campaign, Don’t Send a Ute to Do a HiLux Job aims to reinforce the brand’s legacy in the category and engage the audience through humour and nostalgia, according to Toyota Motor Corporation general manager of national marketing Vin Naidoo.

“Toyota has had a long track record of memorable HiLux ads, and in recent times we’ve enjoyed adding little moments from previous campaigns as a nod to this history,” he said.

“This campaign felt like the perfect opportunity to nod to the iconic Bugger campaign from 1999, including a cameo by a mud-splattered kelpie. We’re hoping that some of our audience may enjoy making the connection.

“Tongue-in-cheek humour has long been a part of the Toyota brand, particularly as it relates to HiLux.

“It’s something that people have enjoyed in the past about our advertising and it has created a strong brand linkage, helping us to stand out in this segment. And while the way we express that humour has evolved in our campaigns for HiLux, we still see it as an inherent part of how we communicate this much-loved Toyota.”

Mr Naidoo said the campaign aimed to highlight the “unmatched quality, durability and reliability” of its vehicles while also reinforcing “Toyota’s strong brand reputation”.

It comes as Toyota seeks to re-establish the HiLux as the best selling ute in the country, after it lost out to the rival Ford Ranger last year.

The Toyota HiLux had occupied the top position for the seven years prior to 2023, according to VFACTs data, and the company is now keen to retain the top spot.

Central to this strategy is positioning the HiLux as “no regular ute”, according to Avish Gordhan, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, Toyota’s long standing advertising agency.

“There are lots of utes out there that look the part,” said Mr Gordhan. “They are regular utes that can do regular jobs. With this campaign we wanted to remind Australians that a HiLux is no regular ute.

”If you are ever in a bit of a pickle, HiLux has the durability, reliability and quality to get you out.

“As the old man says in the ad, ‘You don’t send a ute to do a HiLux job’.”

The campaign aims to engage new customers through the use of humour, while also connecting with existing customers through the nods to the previous campaigns.

“Brands that acknowledge where they’ve come from can connect deeply with long-time fans even while breaking the norms and connecting with new audiences,” Mr Gordhan said “People like to laugh. But they also just generally like to be entertained. Humour is great for cut-through – if it’s executed right.

“But so is drama, suspense, action and just about every other genre from the Oscars category list.

“Things that elicit emotion tend to cut through.

“In this campaign, there’s a wryness to the comedy that feels right for HiLux and for the broad audience we’re trying to reach.

“HiLux is very much part of the Australian community with such a diverse and broad fan base — so from that sense, we are reaching out to all of Australia. We have such loyal owners who just love their trusty HiLux over the generations, coupled with those that have always dreamt of getting into a HiLux. So it’s pretty broad.”

The campaign, which is running across TV, broadcast video on demand (BVOD), radio, digital audio, digital media and out-of-home, comes as the automotive industry feels the impact of the cost-of-living pressures on customers.

According to the latest data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries overall new vehicle sales were down 12.4 per cent year-on-year, when compared to the September 2023 data.

However, despite the easing in overall sales, the ute and SUV categories remain strong, accounting for 80 per cent of new car sales in September.

Earlier this year car manufacturer Kia announced its plans to launch a ute, the Kia Tasman, in 2025.

Like Toyota, Kia leaned heavily on humour in its advertising campaign to generate awareness and interest in its first foray into the category.