Indus Motors Company (IMC) recently launched a series of ads on social media highlighting various features of their flagship Toyota Corolla Altis Grande sedan.
While the idea was okay, the execution of the said adverts is hilarious, to say the least. The ads were executed in an amateur manner and lacked production value, something that should have been considered portraying the top-of-the-line variant of the most popular sedan in Pakistan.
One of the ads is captioned “Boys will be Boys” and it’s the one that tops the list of non-professionalism and conveys a rather irresponsible message to the audience.
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The film opens with an Altis Grande standing on a signal with a father and son (driving) and is soon accompanied by a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV. The guys in the Evo challenge the Altis Grande and they are engaged in a race as soon as the signal goes green.
And then something that was hard to digest happened, not only that the Altis beat the Evo, but the latter slipped on a wet bend while the Altis due to its VSC system cornered perfectly. The Evo catches the father and son when they already had their refreshment towards the end of the commercial.
There are several reasons why the ad is being bashed on social media, and rightly so. First, the selection of the opponent vehicle was incorrect. I don’t know what IMC was trying to prove by showing a 2017 Corolla racing with a 20-year-old Mitsubishi.
Secondly, that’s no ordinary Mitsubishi, it’s an Evo IV. With a 2.0 liter 280hp turbocharged engine under the hood and 4WD, the car is known as one of the fastest road-going cars and it’s hard to digest how a Corolla 1.8 which is substantially raised by IMC to provide ample ground clearance, while running on standard tires is able to outperform a car with rallying heritage.
It would have made more sense if they had used their own 9th generation Corolla instead of the Evo since the 9th gen was best known for its instability and unpredictable braking capabilities.
The most undesirable aspect of the ad was that it promoted street racing. You don’t really want IMC to tell us that the Grande is meant for racing with street boys on public roads. That is something very unprofessional on the part of Indus Motors.
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The 2017 Altis Grande facelift comes with Paddle Shifters, 7-speed CVT-i Transmission, Sequential Shifting, and a Sport Mode that simply alters CVT-i control for a more responsive and direct feel. It’s not the Sport mode of a Lamborghini that adjusts the suspension, throttle, and steering response when activated so please BE ADVISED that the 1.8 liter Altis is NOT a sports car.
There are better and more responsible ways of showing these features, which I strongly believe should have been considered by IMC. Perhaps show the VSC to avoid fatal collision in a rainy condition, or use the Sport mode to reach somewhere in an emergency situation, etc. IMC being a leading auto company in Pakistan representing one of the largest global brands should have acted much more responsibly in delivering the message rather than promoting illegal racing.
What is your opinion regarding this advert? Let us know with your comments. Meanwhile, have a look at the feedback IMC received on their Facebook page.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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