2011 Toyota Corolla Introduces Hatsune Miku to the US

Marking the debut of the 2011 Corolla campaign for the Asian American market, Toyota chose virtual pop diva Hatsune Miku to promote the vehicle. The Toyota Corolla will also serve as the sponsor of Hatsune Miku's first U.S. concert performance, slated for July 2 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California, during Anime Expo 2011.

For those of you who don’t have a clue who Miku is, we’ll tell you that this is a 3-D holographic character developed to put a face on a singing synthesizer software developed by Crypton Future Media, and is now renown for her songs, dance moves and long, blue pigtails.

"Toyota maintains a constant pulse on global trends and influences," said Bob Zeinstra, National Manager, Advertising and Strategic Planning. "We are excited to have this partnership with Hatsune Miku because even if she is unfamiliar to some, the story of the character, her music and her dedicated fans are intriguing and in parallel with the storied history of Toyota Corolla. We are thrilled to help make her debut in the U.S."

Toyota and interTrend Communications have built an integrated marketing campaign that includes TV, print, out-of-home, digital and social media, primarily targeted to the Asian American market.  The campaign launched with the commercial spot that you can watch in the video below this article.

“The partnership was a natural fit as both Toyota Corolla and Hatsune Miku realize big dreams in compact packages. The best-selling compact car, Corolla's updated exterior and interior design and technology features allow it to stand out from the compact vehicle category, much like Hatsune Miku does in her field,” the company explains in a statement for the press.