More Than a Ride: Captiv8 Partners with Toyota, Saatchi & Saatchi to Drive Impact

About Project

In December 2024, Toyota partnered with Best Friends Animal Society to support shelter dog rescue efforts during the holiday season, transforming their vehicles into vessels of hope. This purpose-led initiative was part of Toyota’s messaging for its December Sales Event (DSE) Campaign, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to social impact and community action. The partnership was inspired by Toyota’s heartwarming holiday ad “Real Reward,” telling the story of a young couple in their 2025 Tacoma who reunites a lost dog with its family after seeing a flyer. The couple declines a cash reward, believing the family’s reunion is the “Real Reward.” Created by Saatchi & Saatchi and directed by Dorian & Daniel of Reset Content, the ad set the emotional tone.

The challenge was clear: create emotionally resonant, authentic content that could break through the noise of a crowded holiday media landscape.

To bring this mission to life, Saatchi & Saatchi, Toyota’s Agency of Record, and Captiv8, a leading influencer marketing platform, developed a targeted campaign featuring creators passionate about pet fostering, adoption, and animal welfare. These weren’t just advocates, but active participants. Using Toyota vehicles, the influencers physically transported adoptable shelter dogs to new homes and foster families, documenting each step of the journey on video.

In the content from Isabel Klee (@simonsits) and Joey Masloski/Eric Noxon (@eric.and.joey), viewers came along for the ride. The Toyota vehicles were not mere backdrops but central characters in these real-life rescue missions. As the influencers safely loaded their furry passengers and hit the road, the content captured the emotional weight of the moment and uplifting spirit of giving shelter dogs a second chance. Toyota played a trusted, seamless role in the narrative.

The campaign’s genuine approach resonated. Heartfelt storytelling and authentic ties to the cause sparked community engagement and built trust, amplifying reach and impact. Their content embodied the warmth and generosity of the season while bringing Toyota’s holiday messaging to life in a human, relatable way.

Real-time rescue stories helped the campaign elevate Toyota beyond typical ads. This 360° influencer strategy proved a car and a cause can drive change, one rescued dog at a time.
By activating creators whose personal values aligned with the campaign’s mission, the effort successfully drove authentic engagement, emotional resonance, and measurable impact. Key performance indicators included impressions, view rate, completion rate, engagement rate, and sentiment.

The campaign generated 8.5 million total impressions, with Instagram proving to be a standout channel. In-feed content generated an engagement rate (ER) that was double Toyota’s influencer marketing benchmark. This high engagement underscored the power of emotionally driven storytelling when paired with platform-optimized creative.

Isabe Kleel, one of two featured creators, delivered a standout performance across organic media. Her content alone drove 60% of total campaign views, 81% of impressions, and 89% of link clicks. Her storytelling, rooted in her personal experience with pet adoption and her authentic support of Toyota’s partnership with Best Friends Animal Society, resonated deeply with audiences and fueled additional reach. On Instagram, her in-feed performance nearly doubled Toyota’s Tier 1 benchmark, and on TikTok, she led in engagement and completion rates. Both creators contributed to widespread reach, with Instagram Reels reshared across Stories, generating an additional 48K organic impressions.

Sentiment was a key success metric for this campaign, with results far exceeding expectations. Overall, the campaign achieved an 89% positive sentiment rate, 20% over the industry benchmark, reflecting a strong emotional response and alignment with audience values. Viewers expressed appreciation for the authentic storytelling, meaningful brand involvement, and the campaign's feel-good nature.

Ultimately, the campaign delivered measurable impact at every stage of the consumer journey. It reinforced Toyota’s brand values, built affinity through emotionally driven storytelling, and demonstrated the power of purpose-led influencer partnerships. The results set a high bar for what purpose-driven marketing can achieve when executed with authenticity, care, and the right partners.