A Toyota Times livestream on October 13 outlined a new direction for Toyota's five brands. What is the restructuring likely to achieve? We share the key takeaways.
On October 13, Toyota’s new brand strategy was unveiled during a special Toyota Times livestream.
All Toyota offerings, including Daihatsu, have been restructured into five brands with distinct concepts, depicted in new commercials that premiered on our program.
Viewers were also given a sneak peek at concept cars that will be exhibited at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 (JMS), beginning on October 30.
In this article, we provide a summary of the roles and strategic directions for each of the five brands, as revealed through their new commercials.
CENTURY：One of One
A countdown site announcing the new project launched on September 19. Alongside the Toyota, Lexus, GR, and Daihatsu brand logos, it also featured the emblem of Toyota’s flagship model, the Century.
On social media, this fueled speculation that, rather than remaining a Toyota model, Century might spin off as a separate brand... and indeed, these predictions proved spot on.
More than anyone, Chairman Akio Toyoda was very particular about the brand’s positioning. He created a buzz on social media by telling off the staff who run Toyota’s official account.
Explaining the reason for creating a separate brand, he noted that “the Century didn’t have a clearly defined place.”
Lexus exists as Toyota’s premium brand. Meanwhile, the Century stands apart in a class of its own. And yet, at the previous JMS, the Century was placed in the Toyota booth, which did not feel right to Akio.
Chairman Toyoda
The overseas brands were formed by companies with different roots and backgrounds coming together. But in our case, aside from Daihatsu, all Toyota brands share the same roots.
Within that context, Lexus was like the eldest son and Toyota the younger brother, and as the eldest I think there was a sense that Lexus had to be steady and reliable.
In the past, I suggested creating something above Lexus, but with Toyota being a full-lineup, mass-production manufacturer, the company inevitably opts for cars that deliver high volumes.
But when it comes to luxury cars, we need to go above even Lexus. “What about Toyota’s Century?” That was my advice for positioning.
“In a sense, Lexus can now move more freely,” said Chief Branding Officer (CBO) Simon Humphries, explaining the difference in the two roles. “Lexus should continue to push forward as a pioneer, while Century sets its sights on the high end as the ‘Top of the Top, One of One.’”
CBO Humphries also personally oversaw the new brand’s commercial, bearing the message “One of One—From Japan to the World.”
He sought to express Toyota’s roots as a maker of automatic looms, the Century’s innovations, and its place as a source of Japanese pride.
Lexus: Discover, Imitate no one
With the birth of the Century brand, Lexus is poised to take on even bolder challenges. As if to symbolize the brand’s transformation, the Lexus commercial featured a six-wheeled vehicle named the LS Concept.
The LS has been renowned as Lexus’s flagship model, its name an acronym for “luxury sedan.” Given this heritage, no one could have imagined such a dramatic transformation.
Even Takeshi Nozoe (SIX Inc.), who produced the commercial, had always taken the “S” in LS to mean “sedan,” and was stunned by Chairman Toyoda’s entirely novel interpretation: “space.”
Chairman Toyoda touched on the origins of the Lexus brand with the following comment:
Chairman Toyoda
At the time, Toyota’s flagship model was the Crown. Above the Crown, the market was crowded with European premium brands. Our first foray into this space was the LS.
Since then, we have expanded our lineup, but I suggested that we return to that LS starting point and consider what kind of car Lexus’s chauffeur-driven flagship model should be, without limiting ourselves to a sedan.
The words chosen to indicate the direction of the Lexus brand are “Discover” and “Imitate no one.”
Nozoe
When creating this new brand commercial, we had access to everything, even the parts that are normally kept private within the company, such as the Chairman’s directions that led to the idea of a six-wheeled space, and the discussions that took place.
We distilled this into the words “Discover” and “Imitate no one.” In fact, these were the words used by the Chairman, time and again, in spurring on the development team.
Chairman Toyoda noted how Toyota had worked to catch up with European carmakers, yet pointed out, “We want to go beyond imitation to improvement, and innovation. I think it’s time for some of our vehicles to push into the realm of innovation.”
He also expressed his hopes: “It’s an incredible challenge. There are certain things people expect from Lexus—quietness, comfort, the ability to conquer any road. A six-wheeled vehicle must accomplish all these things. Everyone is committed to the task, and I am sure they will succeed.”