Who's Got the Most Effective Auto Ads? Toyota

Carmaker the Top Winner at IAG Awards Show

By Jean Halliday

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Toyota Motor Sales USA's Toyota and Lexus brands captured two of the five IAG Automotive Advertising effectiveness awards today at the opening breakfast of the New York auto show. The awards were the first of its kind, honoring national TV ad campaigns from 2006.

Toyota Yaris won the Most Effective TV Launch Campaign for a New Nameplate award.

New nameplate winner
Toyota's Yaris small car won the Most Effective TV Launch Campaign for a New Nameplate. All the contenders were evaluated during the first month on air, based on a campaign's ability to raise awareness of the new product among 18- to 54-year-olds. Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, Torrance, Calif., handled the effort for the Yaris.

The other two finalists in the most-effective-launch category were Dodge Nitro (BBDO Detroit) and Nissan Versa (TBWA/Chiat/Day, Playa del Rey, Calif.).

The Lexus LS 460 was honored for the Most Effective Overall Ad in the luxury category, based on ad memorability, brand communications and appeal to the 25-to-54 target with annual household incomes of $75,000 or more. Publicis' Team One Advertising, El Segundo, Calif., handled the commercial, showing the sedan's automatic parallel-parking option. Lexus was up against Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln Navigator and General Motors Corp.'s Hummer H3.

The Ford Escape Hybrid SUV commercial with Kermit the Frog was awarded the Most Effective Overall Ad in the nonluxury segment. The spot broke during the 2006 Super Bowl and aired in subsequent programming, including "American Idol." WPP Group's JWT Team Detroit created the campaign.

VW's Passat
Volkswagen of America's Passat sedan and Jetta were the other two finalists in the category. But VW didn't go home empty-handed. The carmaker's blitz from Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Miami, for its Passat wagon won the prize for Most Effective TV Launch Campaign for an Established Nameplate. The scoring was based on how well the campaign raised awareness of a new product among 18- to 54-year-olds.

Finally, the Most Liked Ad for luxury or nonluxury went to American Honda Motor Co. for its Honda Pilot spot, which showed a troll stopping a family in the SUV at a bridge. The score was based on recall for both the ad and the brand and the commercial's likeability. Independent RPA, Santa Monica, Calif., handled the effort.

Honda was up against the Jeep Wrangler (BBDO Detroit) and GM's Warranty (Deutsch, Los Angeles).

IAG Research, a TV ad-effectiveness measurement outfit, drew its results from its national online panel of more than 1.5 million TV viewers.

IAG evaluated all automaker commercials at similar media weights to even the playing field between the smallest and biggest TV spenders so bigger spenders wouldn't have an edge. Automakers spend some $10 billion annually in measured media, according to TNS Media Intelligence.