Burrell Communications Group has joined forces with Toyota and award-winning writer, producer, and director Kenya Barris, to introduce an innovative advertising campaign for the debut of the Toyota Grand Highlander. Under the banner of “Life’s Grander,” this unique campaign takes a refreshing and genuine approach to engage with African-American families, celebrating the authentic and imperfect moments of life behind the wheel of a grander Toyota vehicle.
The “Life’s Grander” campaign goes beyond traditional marketing. It’s a strategic initiative aimed at countering negative stereotypes and empowering African-American families to embrace their true selves. Burrell’s strategy team identified the desire of many African American families to fully engage in parenting and leveraged this insight to create a campaign that encourages authenticity.
Authentic Storytelling at the Heart of the Campaign
The creative features African-American families engaging in timely and heartwarming dialogues infused with humor. To bring the scripts to life authentically, Burrell sought the expertise of award-winning writer, producer, and director Kenya Barris, widely recognized for his contributions to Black sitcoms.
Barris played a pivotal role in assembling a talented ensemble cast and provided valuable input on performances, wardrobe, and story nuances.
The campaign includes two broadcast TV spots, “Back There” and “HBCU Tour,” along with a series of short digital commercials. “Back There” humorously captures the moment when a mother intervenes in the chaos of the backseat with the timeless phrase, “Don’t make me come back there!” Watch below:
Similarly, “HBCU Tour” portrays a spirited verbal exchange between parents vying to influence their son’s choice of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) after campus visits to their rival alma mater.
“Burrell is committed to making work that Matters, and is as Aspirational as it is Disruptive. We achieve that by leading with cultural relevance,” said Khari Streeter, Burrell’s chief creative officer. “When the opportunity arose to work with Kenya to help us bring our Grand Highlander concepts to life, we jumped at it. He was immediately generous and accessible,” Streeter relates further. “He didn’t hesitate to unpack his culture-led perspective, nor his personal experience to elevate the work. He brought in a spectrum of top-tier talent he had worked with, used a nuanced sense of humor and treated the spots as if they were a collection of episodes, which added depth and cohesion to the campaign. We were happy to be able to break the seal on his commercial directing debut, and look forward to working with him in the future.”
A New Direction for Kenya Barris
While Kenya Barris is renowned for his work in television, this marks his directorial debut in TV commercial advertising. The collaboration between Barris and Burrell proved successful, with the campaign authentically capturing the essence of African-American families’ experiences.
This project marks Barris’ first venture into TV commercial advertising. But, after this strong showing, it’s bound to not be his last. He thoroughly relished the collaboration with the agency. “As a first time commercial director, Burrell made the entire process seamless from beginning to end,” Barris states. “Along with decades of experience, working with the agency team to create a commercial centered around a Black family also meant working with a team that understands all of the big and little details that needed to be portrayed, and was aligned in making sure we did our best to get them right,” he continued.
“As a creative, I’ve always been a big proponent of embracing brand integrations and marketing as a storytelling tool. I loved being able to see that process from the other side of the creative table, while also expanding my skill set as a director for a different format, and would welcome the opportunity to do it again.”
At Toyota, our goal is to create authentic imagery and depictions of our customers engaging with our brand in ways that reflect their values and lived experiences. We believe this new Grand Highlander ad campaign delivers on that promise,” said Mike Tripp, VP of Marketing and Communications, Toyota Motor North America. “We are humbled to contribute to the uplift of African American families with the heartwarming Life’s Grander series, and share Burrell’s enthusiasm about the outcomes of this collaboration with Kenya Barris.”
“Life’s Grander” sets a new standard for advertising campaigns, focusing on cultural relevance and authenticity. Burrell Communications Group’s partnership with Barris and Toyota demonstrates the power of storytelling in marketing and the potential to break stereotypes while celebrating the diverse experiences of families.
As the campaign reaches audiences, it not only promotes the Toyota Grand Highlander but also stands as a testament to the positive impact that thoughtful and culturally resonant advertising can have in society.
CREDITS:
CLIENT: Toyota
- Client Name(s): Michael Moore (General Manager), Michael Tripp (VP Vehicle Marketing & Communications), Lisa Materazzo (Group Vice President)
- Senior Marketing Manager: Ben Haushalter
- Marketing Manager: Beatris Diaz
AGENCY: Burrell Communications
- Chief Creative Officer: Khari Streeter
- Executive Creative Director: Corey Seaton
- Creative Director: Stanley Yorker
- Sr. Art Directors: Claudio Garcia and Nicholas Anglin
- Copywriter: Payton Cianfarano
- Executive Producer: Shirley Portee
- Managing Director: Vicki Bolton
- Group Account Director: Jihan West
- VP/Director-Consumer Insights: Tonya Roberts
- Director of Strategic Planning: Jeffrey N. Fortune, II
- Senior Media Relations Strategist: Ronald E. Childs
- Associate Director, Business Affairs: Maryam Ohebsion
- Business Affairs Manager: Constance Rencher
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Pretty Bird
- Executive Producer: Ali Brown
- Line Producer: James Graves
- Director: Kenya Barris
- Director of Photography: Toby Irwin
EDIT: White House
- Executive Producer (Editing): Joanna Manning
- Producer (Editing): Annie Mladanado
- Editor: Heidi Black
TELECINE: Company 3
Color Artist: Tom Poole
FINISH: Carbon
- Finishing Producer: Vanessa Yee
- Executive Producer (Finish): Gretchen Praeger
MUSIC: Brandon Williams
MIX: Chicago Recording Com
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Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on X at @colinthewriter1
