Uploaded June 2008 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
This local Memphis ad from 1987 is truly one of the stranger car commercials you're likely to see anywhere, anytime! Straight from my parents' old dusty VHS tape collection to your computer screen...
It starts out kinda techno-cool with fancy hand drawn videogame type graphics as Toyotas fly past the old Hyatt Regency Hotel, the Hotel Peabody and even the Mid-South Coliseum. "This is actually not bad," you say to yourself, but not so fast...
Things suddenly take a turn for the weird when, without warning, the scene shifts to prancing furrys (furries?) sharing the camera with an aggressive drag queen, all celebrating low prices in an Alice In Wonderland themed nightmare sequence.
I'm terrified to even consider the possibility that the "queen" is probably their sales manager. I'm not sure how this is supposed to motivate me, sales-wise, but it sure is memorable!!!
UPDATE:
The authors of this commercial have stepped forward and offer this explanation:
"Just saw the Airport Toyota's Marathon of Madness commercial on YouTube. That took us waaaay back. We wrote and produced the piece. If you have a dub the slate should say Shelby & Shane Marketing (our former name).
Just some notes about the production. The open and close were rotoscoped - very high tech for its day. I wish the quality on YouTube was better. The Queen of Hearts was an actor here in Cincinnati named Dick Heggerman. It was a very successful promotion for the Toyota dealerships.
It was good to see the spot.
Russell C. Faust
Vice President Creative Services
St. Gregory Group"
Well, it was good to get your email, Russ! Thanks for the background info. Now, do you have any suggestions for a therapist? That Queen of Hearts still freaks me out. (jus' kidding)
This local Memphis ad from 1987 is truly one of the stranger car commercials you're likely to see anywhere, anytime! Straight from my parents' old dusty VHS tape collection to your computer screen...
It starts out kinda techno-cool with fancy hand drawn videogame type graphics as Toyotas fly past the old Hyatt Regency Hotel, the Hotel Peabody and even the Mid-South Coliseum. "This is actually not bad," you say to yourself, but not so fast...
Things suddenly take a turn for the weird when, without warning, the scene shifts to prancing furrys (furries?) sharing the camera with an aggressive drag queen, all celebrating low prices in an Alice In Wonderland themed nightmare sequence.
I'm terrified to even consider the possibility that the "queen" is probably their sales manager. I'm not sure how this is supposed to motivate me, sales-wise, but it sure is memorable!!!
UPDATE:
The authors of this commercial have stepped forward and offer this explanation:
"Just saw the Airport Toyota's Marathon of Madness commercial on YouTube. That took us waaaay back. We wrote and produced the piece. If you have a dub the slate should say Shelby & Shane Marketing (our former name).
Just some notes about the production. The open and close were rotoscoped - very high tech for its day. I wish the quality on YouTube was better. The Queen of Hearts was an actor here in Cincinnati named Dick Heggerman. It was a very successful promotion for the Toyota dealerships.
It was good to see the spot.
Russell C. Faust
Vice President Creative Services
St. Gregory Group"
Well, it was good to get your email, Russ! Thanks for the background info. Now, do you have any suggestions for a therapist? That Queen of Hearts still freaks me out. (jus' kidding)
