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Toyota breaks barriers with new interactive Forbes.com campaign

Toyota?s new campaign regarding hydrogen fuel is the first to use Forbes.com's new multi-platform advertising tool Pulse that is focused on engaging the mobile consumer.

Mobile video, narrative and interactive advertisements are the main ingredients of a successful engaging marketing campaign. This is what Toyota is attempting to bring together with its Pulse campaign that focuses on breaking boundaries and negating the naysayers.

"The Forbes Pulse product is responsive and the format of the ToyotaVoice Pulse campaign offers storytelling that is very visual and digestible for mobile audiences," said Mark Howard, chief revenue officer at Forbes Media. "The Pulse campaign includes mobile banner ads that are running on Forbes.com. 

"Forty to 45 percent of Forbes.com?s traffic comes from a mobile device, so the Pulse product is a smart approach for marketers looking to engage mobile audiences," he said.

Forbes.com focuses on creating advertising content that integrates with Forbes? own content and best serves both advertisers and consumers. Toyota?s campaign coincides with this goal, using mobile optimized content such as video, trivia, data visualizations and banners. 

Breaking the mold
The Toyota campaign for Forbes.com, named ?Fueled by Skepticism,? promotes Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, which was highly criticized in the past and is now regarded as successful innovation. The campaign features notions that were previously denounced but are now considered staples in society such as sliced bread, men exploring the moon, the invention of automobiles and the personalization of computers. 

A mobile video featuring common negative quotes said about the utilization of hydrogen for fuel uses a narrative and humor to connect with consumers. The video mentions that even though skeptics have ?called bullsh*t? on the idea of hydrogen fuel with negative connotation, this phrase actually is correct, as engineers can take hydrogen from cow manure to create fuel. 


Toyota engages consumers with content that proves the skeptics wrong

Forbes.com is featuring mobile banners with the phrase ?Is Hydrogen bullsh*t,? to grab consumers? attention. Reading a phrase such as that, out of the corner of the eye can cause the consumer?s full attention to draw to the advertisement. 

The campaign video is the first episode of many, all focusing on narrative and engaging video content, optimized for mobile. It also focuses on individuals such as a farmer named Ron, to further personalize the content an appeal to the emotional side of consumers. 

There are also trivia questions pertaining to other inventions throughout history that were considered impossible at the time of original design such as how fast Comet 67P is flying through space in reference to skeptics claiming it would be impossible for a probe to land on the comet. 

Enticing consumers
Showtime completed a similar campaign with its new comedy, Happyish and a takeover the New York Times iPad application with banners and a mood reader to promote the series premiere (see more).

Schick USA also tapped a mobile-optimized video that asks male consumers to interact with an eccentric character and vote for their top three indisposable comforts to promote its Xtreme3 razors, suggesting that consumer packaged goods marketers would be well-served to offer interactive elements in their mobile video campaigns (see more).

Forbes.com brand advertisement division BrandVoice is behind the new platform Pulse, hoping to bring the consumer and its advertisers closer together with similar content to Showtime and Schick. 

"Pulse offers advertisers a multi-element execution that incorporates visual and interactive storytelling," Mr. Howard said. "The product, designed in response to how visitors consume media today, is part of our continued innovation of BrandVoice as we aim to help marketers tell stories in new and innovative ways.

"Audiences are looking for more visual and immersive experiences online, and Pulse is designed with this in mind," he said. "More engaged users translates into better opportunities for marketers."

Final Take
Brielle Jaekel is an editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily and Mobile Marketer, New York