Al-Futtaim Toyota UAE - The Station Cafeteria

Insight
A driving ritual of the United Arab Emirates proved to be the perfect moment to connect with the nation’s youth for the launch of the 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser.
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The late night cafeteria run is an urban subculture in its own right. These midnight drives to street cafeterias to grab a shawarama and juice - delivered curb-side and savoured with friends - is a tradition that has been enjoyed by young drivers across the country.

Idea
The Station Cafeteria - a collaboration with Dubai’s iconic street cafeteria Al Ijaza to create a drive-through cultural experience.

The Station Cafeteria was the world’s first Land Cruiser-themed pop-up, engaging a new generation of fans. The experience ran over three jam-packed weekends and featured a limited-edition menu, a hype drop of exclusive merchendise and private carhop test drives.

With a design inspired by the city’s original street-side eateries the cafeteria came to life as a contemporary explosion of neon colours, bold expression and high-kitsch.

Take home the story: To commemorate this urban cultural moment, a capsule collection of exclusive merchendise was created. The drop included sleeved hype tees, black trucker caps, air fresheners, smartphone decals and more. Drawing on contemporary graffiti-style illustrations, familiar typography and cafeteria codes, cats became mascots and signage became bold graphic proclamations.

The Menufesto: Working with Al Ijaza’s street savvy chefs, a limited, nine-item menu was crafted. The menu featured cafeteria classics, each one with an adventure-themed twist to celebrate the Toyota Land Cruiser and its’ regional incarnations over the years.
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Impact
The Station Cafeteria became the talk of the town, with a 2.1 million social media reach.

The pop-up experience increased test drive sign-ups by 36%.

The Land Cruiser Juice - a limited edition beverage created exclusively for the experience - became such a local sensation that fans asked that it be included in Al Ijaza’s permanent menu, ensuring that the Land Cruiser becomes a part of UAE’s street culture legacy.

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