The Campaign

Our idea was to develop a new charging service network. The Smile Lock Outlet is a new IOT outlet module device and service that promotes the use of unused outlets around town. The infrastructure of electricity has been widely in place around town. However, it was impossible for people other than landowners to use because power usage could not be accurately monitored. This networked module automatically collects and tracks usage date in real time, and it enables landowners to share outlets. This device is compact and can be retrofitted to existing outlets. It is, therefore, possible to expand charging stations easily and quickly without building new large-sized facilities. Our strategy will build a society where people can share electricity and provide consumers with a new lifestyle convenience. Toyota Motors can also simultaneously promote their electric vehicles.

Creative Execution

The IOT power outlets, a system for electricity usage data collection, paved the way for landowners to give access to their power outlets to the consumers. For the landowners, the biggest obstacle to sharing electricity was the inability to monitor accurately who used power and how much they used. With this new service, vehicle users could pay landowners the exact cost for the battery charges. We also monitored the data on user’s charging patterns throughout the project such as how often they used the service and how much electricity they used. To promote more use of electric vehicles in future, we implemented a simulation program to investigate how many charging stations would be necessary to give users freedom of mobility. Based on this project, Toyota was able to take another step toward the future business of electric vehicles. By attaching this module to the existing sockets, they were quickly and easily converted into charging stations for anyone to use.

The result of the six-month trial in central Tokyo was an increase in travel distance through expanding to i-ROAD charging stations. We received praise from users because it compensates for the i-ROAD’s small battery capacity. The desire to purchase the i-Road also increased. Landowners praised us for the added income from unused outlets, which offered a convenience to vehicle users. We were able to discover more potential in the new C2C electricity business. This picture of people charging at unused outlets for cleaners and vending machines showed how innovative our branding was. We are committed to implementing IOT into power outlets, indoors or outdoors. And, in the future, anyone will be able to charge their devices—not only to the i-ROAD. Our goal is to provide convenience by expanding the charging sites and promoting the use of electric vehicles such as the i-ROAD.

The Smile Lock Outlet will solve the power charging problems of the Toyota i-ROAD and also provide people around the world with more freedom, opening a new era for power that’s available anywhere and at any time. We cannot imagine going back to a time without that freedom. It may be the agency’s business in the future to resolve problems of products and issues among consumers and society, tackling the issues for brands and society with fresh ideas unbound to traditional advertising. This represents a new role of advertising in innovation.