Revving Up The Engine: Toyota Excited To Get Going With IOC Sponsorship

Toyota Marketing Group VP Jack Hollis admitted the automaker’s $835M global rights deal with the IOC is “a little scary,” but said he is excited to get going. Toyota last year agreed to become the Olympics’ first worldwide partner in the car category, a deal that took less than a year from first consideration to handshake. The deal took effect in Japan immediately and will start everywhere else next January. “To be honest, it is a little bit scary,” Hollis said. “It’s like, 'Wow, what the heck are we doing?' At the same time, it’s ‘Wow, look what we get to do.’” The global platform gives Toyota rights to all 205 national Olympic committees and the Games through '24. But Hollis said the warm feelings evoked by the Games "gives us a chance to live up to our core values." Hollis: "We’ve got to be able to bring everybody up -- 205 countries -- and let everyone stand a little taller and smile a little brighter instead of some of the cutting that happens in life.”