The Station Cafeteria
Role: Strategist
The Quick Pitch
How can Toyota Land Cruiser, a legacy vehicle connect with the youth again? By connecting with an authentic driving ritual through one of the most unlikely collaborations ever.
What I did
Creative Strategy
Comms plan
On-ground social
Co-wrote Press release
Co-wrote case study paper
Co-wrote case study video
Background
Toyota Land Cruiser, a legacy vehicle was launching its next-gen vehicle, LC 300, and wanted to become a cultural brand amongst 18-35 year olds.
Younger drivers aged 18-35 are one of the fastest growing demographics in the new car buyer market, and a growth engine for the future, Toyota was keen to overturn the course.
Revelation
In a time where fads are cool today, forgotten tomorrow, there is one cultural phenomenon that has lasted forever - late night cafeteria drives. At these cafeterias, cultural icons are celebrated by a juice named after them.
Every night, for generations, young drivers with supercars to regular sedans, and even Land Cruisers, gather around these 1600+ eateries across the nation. These cafeterias have a special place in the hearts of the youth because of their unassuming nature and distinct personality.
They are known for their quirky juice names. Instead of being named after ingredients, they’re named after cultural icons, such as 'Burj Khalifa' and 'Messi.' Until now, no car brand had dared to associate themselves with these cafeterias. They feared it would tarnish the luxury appeal of their cars.
“These cafeterias are iconic structures in the UAE's culture and urban landscape. Not only are they places of social encounters, but places of deep context in understanding food culture of the uae.”
Khalid Mezaina, Illustrator of “Portrait of a Nation” - an exhibition on cafeteria culture
Provocation
In the unlikeliest collaborations of all, what if we created a unique driving experience with the most iconic cafeteria in the nation, Al Ijaza and celebrated Land Cruiser’s iconic status by naming a juice after it.
Idea
‘The Land Cruiser’ Juice, presented by ‘Station Cafeteria’
In partnership with Al Ijaza, Toyota created a new beverage. The 'Land Cruiser' juice, named after the iconic vehicle, became the central piece of the Land Cruiser-themed pop-up and drive-thru experience called 'Station Cafeteria.' The name Station pays homage to the nickname given by Emiratis to the original Land Cruiser in the 1970s.
PROMO FILM
Toyota launched a promo film featuring some of future street icons and sent personalized merchandise to prominent influencers within the food, art, lifestyle, and car communities.
FOOD
The exclusive nine-item Menufesto featured Land Cruiser themed twists to cafeteria classics, such as a series of stories paying homage to cafeteria culture that immersed drivers into this iconic driving ritual.
FASHION
Toyota created an exclusive drop of hype tees, car accessories, and trucker caps inspired by the retro and nostalgia of UAE's street culture.
TEST DRIVES
As visitors drove around the block, waiting for their food to be prepared, Toyota invited them to their VIP parking spots and take the LC300 for a spin.
Impact
The Station Cafeteria became the talk of the town
Over three weekends, 72,000 people visited the pop-up, and "Station Cafeteria" reached a total of 2.1 million. Test drive sign-ups for the new Land Cruiser peaked amongst 18-35 year olds (135% higher than average number of test drives for car launches).
This campaign even increased Ijaza’s orders by 48% (compared to the average number of orders on busiest weekends). The Land Cruiser juice became so popular that fans asked for it to be included in Ijaza's permanent menu, cementing the Land Cruiser's place in the UAE's cultural legacy, forever.
Credits
Simon Reid - Executive Creative Director, Valerie Sandoval & Mohamed Dahab - Art Directors, Harvey Ongogan - Designer, Beverney Shane - Social coverage, Sahil Assadi - Digital CX, Amit Hasija, Savio Dias, Jandri Angelo, Islam Momtaz & Kalani Soyer - Production, Vylan Dalmaida & Chirag Khushalani - Strategy