Art Institute Students Cruise Into First Place in National Toyota Competition
Students Nationwide Attempt The Yaris Debut Challenge Scholastic Achievement Award Competition
PITTSBURGH, July 26 -- Students at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh attempted an assignment that would make even the most experienced marketing executives queasy. For the Yaris Debut Challenge Scholastic Achievement Award Competition, college teams from 10 Art Institutes locations across the nation were charged with launching a new vehicle campaign from start to finish in 10 weeks.
The students' hard work paid off when Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. announced that The Art Institute of Pittsburgh team was named one of three colleges to become finalists. The team traveled to Torrance, Calif., to present its campaign to Toyota executives, as well as creative directors from Saatchi & Saatchi's Los Angeles division. Earlier this month, the team received notification that it had earned the first-place title and a $3,000 cash award.
Under the direction of Graphic Design faculty members Ron and Linda Miller, 13 students were issued a challenge on the first day of class. The assignment was to emulate a full-service marketing department, conduct demographic research for the all-new 2007 Toyota Yaris subcompact vehicle and follow through by developing and implementing a multi-tiered marketing plan, complete with measurable results.
After conducting substantive research about the Yaris demographic, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh team developed its campaign titled "Discover Y," and produced materials with a sophisticated message about the car's economic, environmental and social attributes. Traditional marketing tactics, such as posters, print ads, media kits, flyers, dealership promotional contests, innovative marketing approaches and a web site were designed to reach the "Gen Y" market consisting of males and females ages 18 to 30.
The Pittsburgh team determined early on that reaching the "Gen Y" market required more than traditional tactics, which are often overlooked by this audience. Perhaps the team's most distinctive edge was its development and performance of its "innovative and street tactics," which included the following:
- Construction of a six-foot orange letter Y (Yaris Logo) and positioning
it for publicity throughout downtown Pittsburgh;
- Development and execution of a letter Y-shaped grass-cutting pattern,
that encouraged people to cut their lawns into the shaper of the letter
Y and then submit photos to be posted on the yishere.com website;
- Placement of adhesive Y! thought-balloons in elevator cars, restroom
mirrors and various places throughout The Art Institute campus and
other venues;
- A personality game, asking target market audience to identify their
personality with a punctuation mark;
- Design and placement of planter-style ads on wire frames that easily
fit into grassy park areas.
In total, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh's "Discover Y" campaign generated 3.5 million impressions. Each team was provided a budget of $2,500. The Art Institute's campaign was evaluated to generate 1400 impressions per dollar.
"I was extremely impressed with the level of creativity and passion exemplified by all of the student groups who participated in the Yaris Debut Challenge," said Marti Ochiai, Toyota marketing manager. "The winning team from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh did a phenomenal job in creating a fully integrated and impactful iconic campaign. We especially loved how the students brought relevance to their local market by using the three rivers and came up with very clever ways to capture the attention of their audience."
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh administration and faculty are proud of its team's success. For their instructor, Ron Miller, the reward is in the priceless experience the students gained along the way. "My team proved that they are not only good designers, but their work is capable of getting results," said Mr. Miller. "These students now have a significant professional experience under their belts that will give them a powerful edge as they prepare to graduate into a highly competitive field."
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh team of students included: Angela Briggs, Doug Dean, Joe Kromer, Nate Repai, Krystina Robinson, Robert Stinogle, Gunn Satanyasuwan, Jamie Coven, Brandon Divosevic, Vanessa Sheeler, Corey Tiani, Haeli Todd and Stephanie Torzok.
More than 100 Art Institutes students from across the US participated in the Yaris Debut Challenge, including students at The Art Institute of California - Orange County, The Art Institute of California - San Diego, The Art Institute of California - San Francisco, The Art Institute of Charlotte, The Art Institute of Houston, The Art Institute of New York City, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, The Art Institute of Portland, The Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago and Miami International University of Art & Design. To learn more about the Yaris Debut Challenge visit www.artinstitutes.edu/toyota.
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), with 32 educational institutions located throughout North America, provides an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
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