The Amazing Trails of the Econauts

Tribe Toyota, a community of Toyota owners managed by UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT), has always been active in enhancing customer experiences and building relationships through its activities. One such activity has been the annual treasure hunt named ‘Amazing Trails’.

This year, Tribe Toyota incorporated Environment - a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) theme to the Amazing Trails' activities to show the Tribe Toyota members’ concerns towards environment preservation. Towards this end, Tribe Toyota has created a virtual Amazing Trails… a treasure hunt-based virtual campaign called ‘The Amazing Trails of the Econauts’. It is an immersive story-driven game where the players act upon clues by solving puzzles that lead to a goal - the capture of the notorious eco-villain named ‘X’. The Econauts are an eco-crime prevention organization whose mission is to put a stop to those who commit crimes against the environment – ‘X’ in particular. The online game was a month-long virtual hunt which attracted 1,359 players, all Toyota owners.

“Being a major player in the automotive industry, we always care for the well-being of our Toyota owners as well as for the environment. This is why, this year, we have taken the route to put together a two-level challenge with an environment theme with tips on what we, as a family, can do to make a change,” explained Harry Loo Chee Yan, Director of Customer Relationship Management at UMW Toyota Motor.

The top 50 winners from the virtual hunt who qualified as an elite team of Econauts were given the task to save the environment. The 50 owners then recruited their own team of friends and family members to go on a one-day treasure hunt where environmental activities were incorporated along the trail. These activities included a micro-organism mudball throwing task to clean the floors of a very dirty lake and re-using materials to weave placemats. 

During the Amazing Trails event, new and existing Tribe Toyota members came together for an exciting and memorable outing while doing their part for the environment. It was a day to remember as the members, their families and friends all collaborated with each other in all activities to create awareness and encourage respect for the environment.

The virtual hunt clinched two Silvers and one Bronze for Art Direction, Illustration and Open category respectively in the prestigious 2010 Kancil Awards, Malaysia’s largest advertising awards competition.
 

The Tribe Toyota community was officially launched in September 2006 by UMW Toyota Motor. It is open to all owners of privately-registered vehicles purchased from UMW Toyota Motor. Tribe Toyota serves as a platform for UMWT to build stronger relationships with its customers. Tribe Toyota members can participate in events organised by UMWT and also access the Tribe Toyota website where they can share their thoughts and opinions in the forum (and also share photos). There’s a Toyota Owner’s Journal where they can check their vehicle details, its service history, their 24SEVEN Road Assist membership status and more. Furthermore, through Tribe Toyota, customers get to meet other Toyota owners.