On March 17, 2006, I proposed to my girlfriend via an elaborate multi-step proposal event that involved a rented Toyota Yaris as a key player. During the post-engagement, pre-wedding planning, I wondered idly if I could bargain with Toyota to score my bride and I some corporate wedding sponsorship dollars in exchange for some free, voluntary advertising. With the help of my journalism prof, author Loranne Brown, I set about writing a new kind of proposal to Toyota Canada Inc…

• Keep reading to view the letter in its entirety, text-only style.
• Download a PDF of the original letter sent to Toyota.
• See pictures of the engagement.
• Find out what Toyota said in response.

Toyota Canada Inc.
Head Office
1 Toyota Place
Scarborough, ON
M1H 1H9

April 10, 2006

TO THE MARKETING PEOPLE AT TOYOTA CANADA,

My name is Kevan, and two weeks ago, I got engaged. The evening was a well-executed operation that resulted in yesses and tears of joy and other such gushing consequences and, needless to say, she’s got a ring on her finger and I’ve got a new fiancée - her name is Kendra. She is beautiful. Anyway, as is the case with most engagement stories, my lady and I get to re-tell our tale upwards of a hundred times. A day. But there’s one thing we’ve noticed that’s a little different about our story: every time we tell it, it starts and ends with the Toyota Yaris. I know engagement stories are supposed to be all about the couple, but there’s a secondary character in our story, and it’s your car that’s playing the supporting role. Let me explain.

……..

We got engaged on a Friday. A few days earlier, I’d told her our reservations were for 5:15: wear business attire, and don’t worry about transportation. That bit was already a little sketchy, because she knows I, a university student, don’t have a car. Little did she know, the day before, I had dropped by Avis and rented a brand new red 2006 Toyota Yaris.

When 5:00 rolled around, I knocked on her door and escorted her outside to the car. It was parked on an angle at the end of the sidewalk, gleaming in a spring sunset. She had no idea what she was getting into - literally.

“Whoa . . . is this an Echo?” she asked.

“It’s a Toyota Yaris,” I said.

She was impressed. “Who did you borrow this from? Is it somebody on campus?”

“Nope,” I replied with a grin. “I rented it.”

“No way!” she exclaimed, grinning back. Her eyes were wide with possibilities. “How long do we have it for?”

“‘Til tomorrow morning,” I said, and handed her a CD. It was a mix I’d put together, a collection of car-commercial electronica I’d compiled; “Yaris Mix” was scribbled on the disc. She put it in, and I started the car.

“Check it out,” stuttered the Groove Armada, as “Groove Is On” kicked in.

She figured we were restaurant-bound, but I had something else in mind, and Part One involved a very specific long drive through the country. Earlier that day, I’d driven around the uncharted backroads of rural Fort Langley for hours, trying to map out the perfect route for the Yaris to travel in delivering us to our secret destination.

It was a winding road, twisting its way through rural routes and racing alongside the Fraser River. We paralleled a freight train and passed it, and sped past Christmas tree farms and sheep ranches.

“I had no idea it was so beautiful out here,” she said. At the climax of the trip, we crossed a bridge and immediately faced a hill dotted with caution signs, sharp corner signs, 15 km/h signs. The Yaris handled the bends with delicate ease, twisting up and up this switchbacking forty-five degree slope that looped through old-growth forest and moss-covered tree trunks. Suddenly, the forest opened as we crested the hill, and the blue sky shooting through the vanishing treetops exploded into full view.

I pulled over to the side of the road. There were no restaurants or B&Bs in sight, just a couple of residences, a barn, and a big old empty field. We got out of the Yaris.

By now, she was thoroughly confused, but thoroughly enjoying the adventure.

“What are we doing?” she asked.

I gave her a smile and opened the trunk; I’d stashed her running shoes and winter jacket in the back. I made her change out of her heels and into her running shoes, and we climbed through the barbed wire fence and marched to the centre of the field.

In the middle of the field we could see a white table with a white tablecloth waving at us in the wind. As we arrived, we saw red and orange and pink and white rose petals were scattered over the table. The table was set, and hosting a freshly-baked lasagne, a loaf of garlic bread, a spinach salad and a bottle of sparkling cider.

I’m sure she knew what was coming by now, but that didn’t spoil the excitement when I finally reached into my camera case, pulled out the ring box, and asked her to marry me.

She said yes. And the lasagne was delicious – thanks for asking.

Part Two was cute too. I told her our next reservations were for 6:15, so we hopped back in the Yaris and headed downtown.

When we got out of the car in the parking lot of a brand-new four-storey office building, she was a little confused, but still excited. When we exited the elevator and walked out into the fourth floor, she was excited but still clueless. When we rounded the corner and saw twenty-four of our friends with business suits and nametags stand up and applaud us, her face lit up in surprise. She couldn’t help but cry.

It was a ridiculous idea, but kind of clever. I decided to play along with the business-like implications of the word “proposal.” I suppose I could have tried the somewhat tacky move of presenting the actual Question as a “business proposal,” but I decided instead to hold an Official Post-Proposal Business Meeting as a kind of celebration between friends.

As Kendra excused herself to find composure in the washroom, I welcomed all our guests and filled them in on what had just happened, from the moment I picked her up in the Yaris to the present time. When Kendra returned, our friends applauded again, and we all took our seats and began the business meeting.

The faux-pro feel was an enjoyable pretense. The lights were turned down and I began the PowerPoint presentation. I gave a brief summary of our relationship, presented tonight’s answer to The Question, and told the story of the proposal. In one sequence (there’s a picture of this part), I explained all the vehicles I had considered renting for the evening: hot air balloon, helicopter and schoolbus. When each discarded idea came up, a damningly animated PowerPoint stamp stomped its verdict overtop. But when my final choice for the transport vehicle zipped onscreen – a brand new Toyota Yaris - the animated PowerPoint stamp of awesomeness appeared and granted approval.

There were more treats, too: I’d created a fifteen-page document called “The Official Post-Proposal Workbook and Information Package.” It included artist’s projections of what we’ll look like in our 40s and 80s, ridiculous practice exercises and superfluous appendices. I had it colour-printed and coil-bound at Kinko’s, and even made photocopies available for all the other attendants. There were drinks and appetizers at the back of the room, and Miles Davis and St. Germain making music in the background.

All in all, a memorable and meaningful night. After our friends petered out, we headed back to the parking lot and climbed into the Yaris. The car had 12 hours of life still on it, but we were both a little too tired for an all-night road-trip. We tripped through town to a coffee shop called the Wired Monk, and we were delighted to find the Yaris’ dashboard cupholders. A brilliant touch. We headed back to our place to have champagne with a few of our friends.

So that’s the amazing part: every time we re-tell our engagement story, it starts by naming the red 2006 Toyota Yaris. It’s built in - we can’t talk about our engagement without talking about your hip new car, with all the excitement of a newly affiancéed couple. It’s true; one night with the Yaris has led to a hundred or more conversations with people on campus.

We’d like to invite you to recognize us as the valid and viable viral marketing tool we are. We’re a grassroots connection that has the potential to reach far. We’re already on board with the car and the company, so that part’s easy. But beyond the built-in PR duo we already are, we’re inviting you to come one step further with us, and consider sponsoring us in a more official capacity.

Our wedding is on August 27, 2006, taking place in Kelowna, BC. Before then, there are a lot of print materials to prepare: save-the-date cards, invitations, wedding programs, and so forth. You already have our continued and willing endorsement and product promotion in our day-to day conversation. But, imagine the Toyota logo on all our printed materials. Imagine a Toyota banner in a prominent place at our reception. Imagine our smiling faces and wedding pictures telling our Yaris story in your advertising.

In exchange, we would love to see Toyota respond in one of the following three ways:
A) Offer a small donation for the advertising to help with our wedding, or
B) Offer a discount towards our purchase of the Yaris, or
C) Present the preferred and most perfect option: the wedding gift / sponsorship token of the new Yaris.

As a couple getting married just after graduating from university, it would be an incredible honour to somehow drive and own the Toyota Yaris. If you like the idea, then consider this a post-proposal proposal. If not, then consider it a testimonial.

Feel free to get in touch with me anytime, via e-mail or telephone. We look forward to discussing our idea with you further.

Yours truly,

Kevan Gilbert

Toyota’s Response

After about two months of waiting and hoping for a new car or a handsome sponsorship deal, I finally heard from Toyota. The call from Julie (not her real name) was a pleasant and diplomatic shutdown. The marketing team had “thoroughly enjoyed my letter,” and had passed it around the office for everybody to read. However, Toyota has already chosen specific charities to sponsor, and in order to make their contributions more effective, have decided to donate only to these pre-defined causes, blah blah blah. In a nutshell, thanks for the cute story, kid, but nope, you’re not getting a free Yaris.