VIDEO: New Toyota Prius ad channels Vishnu to explain hybrid tech
Posted Oct 27th 2009 11:22AM by Jeremy Korzeniewski
Australian Toyota Prius advertisement - Click above to watch the video after the break
What do you want from me... I've only got two hands?! Wouldn't we all be a bit more productive if we were blessed with another set of upper appendages, complete with opposable thumbs? Toyota apparently thinks so, and the Japanese automotive giant is using the point to prove that two drivetrains are better than one.
Of course, the two drivetrains in question belong to the new 2010 Toyota Prius, which mates an electric motor capable of powering the car by its lonesome (albeit briefly) and a small, efficient gas-burning 1.8-liter four cylinder internal combustion engine in one happy marriage to produce the perfect hybrid. Or something like that.
Click past the break to watch the advertisement for the new 2010 Prius in Australia. Oh, and Vishnu? Click here for an explanation of the title reference. Thanks for the tip, Mark C!
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Glock23 11:49AM (10/27/2009)
This isn't the first commercial of the Prius with overtones of new age religion. It all started with the dancing "flower children" commercial and their "peace, love, harmony" message. Now this.
Sorry Toyota, but this kind of marketing further alienates main stream buyers and reinforces the stereotypes that Prius owners are all left wing, new age types.
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Sea Urchin 12:04PM (10/27/2009)
Left wing new age types? The car helps the country consume less oil so there's no repeat of Sept 11. How is this a left wing issue?
Also do conservatives do not enjoy clean, fresh, non polluted air? I know i do.
allaman 12:32PM (10/27/2009)
Vishnu is part of this new fad all the kids are talking about? Or he could be part of one of the older and larger religions of the world.
Besides, the ad does not mention Vishnu, Autoblog applied that idea to the commercial.
Glock23 1:03PM (10/27/2009)
"Left wing new age types? The car helps the country consume less oil so there's no repeat of Sept 11. How is this a left wing issue?"
This plays to the stereotype of a Prius owner. That they are new age, tree huggers, who are majority liberals. This commerical just reinforces that idea and it's a turn off to people who otherwise might be receptive to seeing more about a Prius.
SunC 1:08PM (10/27/2009)
@Glock23
The guy's getting more done in less time, what is there to criticize about that?
Fatima 1:25PM (10/27/2009)
@Glock23
Are you implying Hinduism is an inferior religion? In order to be main stream the ads need to be catered toward white christian folk?
paul 2:28PM (10/27/2009)
Geez, it's only a humorous commercial about how well the two parts of the drive train work together. Get a sense of humor dude.
Geo 2:34PM (10/27/2009)
I completely disagree with you... the ad is good, the target audience is correct and the results are obvious - Prius sells well, very well. The other hybrids from Honda and Ford sell well too.
allaman 2:58PM (10/27/2009)
Nothing says treehugger like suits and ties in an office environment. amirite?
Justin 3:12PM (10/27/2009)
Glock23, while I agree with you, not just because Glock remains my favorite handgun of all time, but because of the very same principle you just mentioned.
I will never buy an American car for the very same reason that you just mentioned.
What you did not mention is the fact that embedded with the American car industry is the very same left wing union organization, if not more toxic to America than the left wing new age cult that you are talking about.
I love America every bit you do, the only difference is that I would actually support foreign car makers out of the following principle:
1. Union of auto industry is cancer for USA.
2. supporting a Japanese company is a way of rewarding Japan for their Royalty to USA. (Both cultural levels and government, thats what makes them a superior nation in all of Asia)
3. Free market and commercialism is the only and best way for USA to thrive.
Sea Urchin 3:55PM (10/27/2009)
+1 Justin
PJ 4:42PM (10/27/2009)
"This isn't the first commercial of the Prius with overtones of new age religion. It all started with the dancing "flower children" commercial and their 'peace, love, harmony' message. Now this."
Umm, dancing flowers is a religion?
Also, did the ad refer to religion at all until the Autoblog headline brought it up?
"Damn that peace and love, so anti-American, grumble grumble glurg..." lol, seriously, what decade is this?
themanSonara 12:33PM (10/27/2009)
All I see is two guys doing that bit from Whose Line....no need to over analyze a car commercial...
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Luis Salvatierra 12:48PM (10/27/2009)
+1
SunC 2:15PM (10/27/2009)
note to AB:
In the future it'd be best to leave religion out of updates.. good attempt at trying to educate the masses though.
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unni 3:26PM (10/27/2009)
Wondering next will be a Ravana based adv :
20 hands , 10 heads :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ravana.jpg
To be true the adv looks nice :-), may be wondering what happens in a flu season :-)
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AMG Powerrr 3:47PM (10/27/2009)
Woow, a funny video! If the car was that funny... But it isn't.
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MJS 4:14PM (10/27/2009)
Hey Sea Urchin, you think those Prius grow in the fields???? It takes more "oil" and a larger "carbon foot print" (sorry, hard to type when laughing so hard) to build Hybrids than it does a normal vehicle and the cost savings from the "saved oil" is less than if we just drove normal vehicles. Stop buying into the save the planet religion-like the late great George Carlin said, "this planet has been here for millions of years. It's gone through earthquakes, floods, ice age(that's were those glaciers came from) and non-ice age(glaciers melted and gave us all this beautiful land(see Yosemite, etc...) and so much more, and for man/woman, that's only been on this planet for about 6000 years thinks that by not using plastic bags and using less oil will save this planet, man, your a bigger ______ than you know, how elitist"- George did know how to set it straight. If you listen to these "greenadist" they are now saying to save the earth, there needs to be less humans. I don't see them volunteering to be the first-just like those brake Taliban that send children and mentally challenged people to blow themselves up.
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Kappy 7:22PM (10/27/2009)
1. Hinduism is not exactly a "new age" religion, having been around much much longer than Christianity.
2. The ad is Australian. If I remember correctly there has recently been a large amount of Indian immigration to Australia.
3. The ad wasn't really religious to me, if anything I kind of liked it.
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G.G. 6:28AM (10/28/2009)
Toyota is in bigger trouble than any of you realize. They need all the help they can get, even if it is from that guy behind you...
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