Ad of the Day | H/L Partners With Toyota and Palisades Tahoe for Epic Norcal-Based Campaign

Feb. 12, 2025

Bay Area-based independent media and ad agency H/L continues their longstanding partnership with Toyota with the launch of "Turn Up," which made its debut regionally during the Super Bowl on Sunday. Combining three iconic Northern California Brands—Toyota, Palisades Tahoe and Olympic gold medalist skier Jonny Moseley—H/L takes audiences on a memorable, cinematic winter sports adventure.

H/L was recently recognized by Ad Age and Automotive News for its expertise in crafting impactful automotive campaigns, winning a 2024 Global Automotive Marketing Award for Best Sales Event Campaign: Regional/Local for NorCal Toyota’s “Take It On” campaign. Like “Turn Up,” the spot featured Olympic skier Jonny Moseley carving through Palisades Tahoe. Building on that success, “Turn Up” showcases the highly anticipated, fully redesigned 2025 Toyota 4Runner alongside the Tacoma, Tundra and new all-hybrid Land Cruiser. The vehicles transport legendary skiers Jonny Moseley, and Connery Lundin up the mountains to the storied slopes of Palisades Tahoe—celebrating the resort’s 75th anniversary and reinforcing Toyota’s reputation for winter reliability.

“Turn Up” was developed and executed by H/L in collaboration with the agency’s in-house production studio, Wolfhouse. The film opens with a voiceover: “Adventure never starts at full blast.” Jonny Moseley nods, giving the go-ahead, and the symphonic Turn Up unfolds. Shots of ice scraping off windshields set the journey to Palisades Tahoe in motion, brought to life by timed sound effects and an original score. As Toyota trucks power up the mountain and skiers carve down the slopes, the action and soundscape build to a thrilling peak. The action-packed on-location shots captured by the film’s director, Carlo Silvio of Wolfhouse, reflect H/L’s expert ability to direct superstar talent and create original scenes that bring life to legacy brands, especially as they relate to Northern California.

H/L VP and Executive Creative Director, Dallas Baker remarked:

“We’re working with not only a world-class destination in Palisades Tahoe, but a world-class journey, in an all-wheel-drive Toyota. So, to fully capture that feeling of excitement people experience each ski season, we crafted an original piece of music as “the soundtrack of the mountain.” We also incorporated the sounds of Toyota vehicles and the landscape to punctuate Jonny Moseley’s and company’s skiing, adding a visceral component to our messaging that skiers and non-skiers alike, across Northern California, will feel.”

 

Since 1985, H/L has been fiercely independent and committed to Make Momentum.™ The company’s strengths include local and national media activations, creative development, insights and analytics, full-scale digital and video production, multicultural marketing, and PR. H/L is headquartered in Oakland, California, with people in 22 states and offices in Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, and St. Louis. What unites H/Lers across the country is a common drive—to pioneer new ways to push clients’ businesses forward and serve its communities.