Xtranormal Partners with Toyota to Bring Animation Magic to Social Media Campaign

Aug. 10, 2011 - PRLog -- Xtranormal™, the revolutionary online approach to movie making, announced their new partnership with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (Toyota). The automaker has chosen to leverage Xtranormal’s movie maker technology to enhance its Auto-Biography Facebook app. Xtranormal provides a unique approach to producing user-generated video content, allowing brands to customize options to encourage consumer participation. Toyota’s campaign is the first example of private label implementation where user-generated content is created using Xtranormal video technology.

“Xtranormal movie making technology adds tremendous value to marketing campaigns. It’s simple-to-use – so anyone can participate – and each video has the potential to go viral to maximize brand awareness and retention,” says Graham Sharp, President, Xtranormal. “With its Auto-Biography Facebook campaign, Toyota has created an experience where customers have the opportunity to share their anecdotes as an animated character…. right alongside their Prius or Camry! This is much more powerful than submitting their story in words only; the visuals provide a much more gripping experience that resonates with viewers.”

Inspired by real-life owners, Toyota, in partnership with its agency of record Saatchi & Saatchi LA, launched the Auto-Biography campaign in 2010. Seeing a unique opportunity to capture an outpouring of owners’ stories on an ongoing basis, Toyota created a dedicated space on Facebook where owners could submit their stories and more people could see them, all while being part of a larger Toyota community. The Auto-Biography Facebook app enabled people to share their experiences by uploading stories and photos.

The app has proven itself successful, with more than 11,000 user videos uploaded on Facebook to date. With such a strong showing, Toyota looked to the next level by inviting owners to become movie makers. The brand chose a more interactive approach with Xtranormal’s easy-to-use, customizable movie maker. Toyota drivers can animate and personalize their stories by choosing the make of their car, alongside the various character and set choices.

"Xtranormal gives Toyota owners a cool and unique way to create content to share with friends and family, " said Kimberley Gardiner, National Digital Marketing & Social Media Manager, Toyota. "The movie maker technology really brings their Toyota stories to life."

For additional information about Toyota’s Auto-Biography Facebook Campaign, please visit http://apps.facebook.com/toyota-tm.

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About Xtranormal
Xtranormal brings movie-making magic to the masses. Their motto, “if you can type, you can make movies,” inspires creativity and transcends generations - from a 4th grade student completing a video project, to an affluent advertising firm creating a private label for a B2B client. Xtranormal’s contagious technology has made it a viral sensation with millions of users playing out their movie-making dreams through the simple act of typing.

About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than 1.76 million vehicles in 2010. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com.