• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, December 14, 2022

Toyota partnered with Influential -- one of the world’s largest influencer-marketing companies based on revenue -- to sponsor Asian-American Day Ones, a celebration of the Asian-American culture in the United States.

The campaign, referred to as Day Ones, assembled a diverse group of Asian-America artists to craft vibrant and culturally significant murals in Los Angeles that signify what it means to be Asian-American. And, that this group will not be held back by stereotypes or stuck in the status quo.

Day Ones builds on the foundation that Toyota has laid with its overarching brand platform for the last decade, Alex Chau, brand media manager at Toyota, wrote in an email to Search & Performance Marketing Daily.

“We like to champion people and their ability to get out there and live their life to the fullest,” Chau wrote. “This campaign is a chance for us to remind people about Toyota’s important qualities and values.”

The campaign aims to reignite enthusiasm among today’s fans of Toyota vehicles and use special moments to make a positive and meaningful connection to those who may not already be part of the Toyota family.

“Our brand campaign for the Asian American audience tells stories and shares inspirational messages about what Toyota is all about as a brand – ensuring our audience feels are seen, heard, and supported,” Chau wrote.

Most of the campaign will run on social media, but the companies plan to add some paid media.

Working with Chau at Toyota are Eugene Kim -- executive creative director at interTrend, the car manufacturer’s ad agency on the campaign -- and Latarria Coy, head of ethical media at Influential, which mostly supports social media.

"We hope this will inspire other artists to follow their dream," Kim says. "In the Asian-American culture, your parents tend to choose or tell your the career path to take. I did not realize there were so many artists."

The long-form video content will live on Toyota’s YouTube channel, and short-form videos will live on Instagram and Facebook.

The artwork, completed in November, raises awareness of the talents of Asian-American creators.

Aaron Woes Martin, an acrylic painter and multimedia artist, and Tommii Lim, a painter and muralist, are the Los Angeles-based artists working on this campaign. They will create original murals and artwork in L.A. One of the pieces of art will be featured on a vehicle from Toyota. 

“Day one of being 100% me started the day I decided to become an artist,” Martin wrote on his Facebook page, describing his experiences with Toyota U.S.A. for a Day One celebration of his Asian-American dream.

“I had a blast painting a Toyota Supra, alongside my good friend @Tommii Lim! Defying expectations is nothing new to me,” he wrote. “And following my dreams of becoming an artist wasn’t an option, it was a necessity. It’s allowed me to express myself, travel the world, and let the world know who I am.”

Prior to designing the pieces, the artists have collaborated on the style, colors and theme of the two art pieces to ensure consistency, while adding their own cultural and personal take on the Day Ones campaign.