Universal Studios joins Toyota in global venture

Toyota has signed a global marketing deal with Vivendi-owned Universal Studios.

Under the terms of the deal, the Japanese car manufacturer will pay an undisclosed figure for the rights to have its vehicles appear in Universal Studios films. Toyota will also be linked to the promotion of the Universal theme parks in Hollywood, Florida, Spain and Japan.

The deal will run for three years, with an option to extend it for a further two years. Toyota has also agreed to spend between £35m and £55m on advertising to support the project.

The arrangement will give Toyota promotional space in high-profile Hollywood productions – Universal recently released Jurassic Park III. Toyota Motor Sales USA vice-president Steve Sturm claims the marketing alliance will emphasise Toyota’s “fun and dynamic” side. Universal vice-president Stephanie Sperber adds: “You’ll be seeing a lot of Toyotas in our upcoming films.”

Toyota will be sponsoring theme park rides at Universal Studios. Rides include Back to the Future at Universal Studios Hollywood, and Men in Black at the Florida park.

In return for a 30 per cent discount on advertising, Toyota will sponsor television programmes on Universal’s cable and satellite channels in Europe and Latin America. It is also likely that Universal Music will distribute promotional CDs through Toyota’s dealerships, and supply soundtracks to Toyota TV commercials.