Toyota Announces Closing Chapter of Award-Winning Anime Series "GRIP"—Culminating in Brand's First-Ever Anime Short Film
Intertrend Communications, the culture-forward creative agency known for helping leading U.S. brands connect with Asian American audiences and broader pop culture, today announced the fourth and final installment of Toyota's award-winning anime series titled "GRIP, A Toyota Movie," premiering November 5, 2025.
Directed by Yoriaki Mochizuki (Harley Quinn, Final Space, Kite Man: Hell Yeah!), the nearly ten-minute short film marks the final chapter of Toyota's GRIP series and the brand's first-ever anime short film. The original content franchise has captured audiences across the globe with its fusion of anime artistry, driving passion, and emotional storytelling. Originally created by Intertrend alongside Executive Producer Frank Mele, the content series is a high-octane anime adventure that combines heart-pounding action and a battle between the human spirit and computer control.
Since its debut early last year, Toyota's GRIP franchise has earned critical acclaim and industry recognition for creative excellence and audience engagement. For three seasons, Toyota has carved its own lane in anime through GRIP—a pioneering campaign created by Intertrend Communications that reimagined how an automotive brand could engage emerging demographics and fandom communities. Through a 360-degree activation strategy spanning programmatic out-of-home takeovers, pop-culture events like Anime Impulse Universe and Formula Drift, and custom partnerships with Spotify and Japanese girl group ATARASHII GAKKO!, the GRIP campaign has cemented Toyota's position as a cultural innovator.
Short Film Synopsis: Set in a near-future world dominated by AI-powered self-driving cars, "GRIP, A Toyota Movie" follows a team of passionate drivers as they fight to preserve humanity's love for driving against a villain determined to erase it forever. Amid the battle, a son seeks to reconnect with his father, a daughter rekindles a lost bond, and a forgotten moment is rediscovered—reminding viewers that it's human connection, not technology, that truly drives us forward.
"This final chapter takes everything fans loved about GRIP, the artistry, the energy, the emotion, and amplifies it into a cinematic statement about humanity and technology," said Matthew Choy, executive director of strategy/creative at Intertrend. "With ‘GRIP, A Toyota Movie', Toyota celebrates both the thrill of driving and the heart behind it."
Vice President of Marketing Communications at Toyota Motor North America, Dedra DeLilli, added, "Each season of GRIP has pushed the boundaries of branded storytelling. As we close this chapter, we're proud to have created a piece of work that honors our fans and redefines how a brand can show up in culture—authentic, artistic, and emotionally resonant."
The campaign has generated more than 300 million impressions, driving double-digit lifts in brand perception among key Gen Z and multicultural audiences. These results have reinforced Toyota's position as a brand that not only drives innovation on the road but also in the cultural and creative spaces that inspire the next generation of drivers.
"GRIP, A Toyota Movie" premieres globally November 5, 2025, at www.toyota.com/grip.
ABOUT INTERTREND:
Intertrend is a multicultural creative agency that understands the intersection of cultures, emerging trends, and the interaction between brands and consumers. With a passionate team of over 70 professionals focused on creative excellence, Intertrend creates deeply resonant and exceptional consumer experiences. Founded 32 years ago and based in both Long Beach, Calif. and Plano, Texas, the agency has worked with leading brands in automotive, financial services, retail, entertainment, pharma and telecom. Intertrend also incepted and houses a family of exclusively owned entrepreneurial brand units within Intertrend Lab and Intertrend Plus, that build to its core expertise across digital, content and experiential including The Art of Bloom, Imprint Culture Lab, Imprint Venture Lab, Architecture for Dogs, Make Noise Today, Pivot Marketing, Rezonate, and a nonprofit called Creative Class Collective (with the following programs: Long Beach Walls, Art Renzei, Unexpected Connections, Port City Creative Guild). Interpreters and interrupters, interdisciplinary and international, Intertrend is where culture and content meet. For more information, please visit www.intertrend.com.
ABOUT TOYOTA:
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota's plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
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Andrew Meehan
Meehan Business Advisers for Intertrend
(949) 285-0759
[email protected]
Sam Mahoney
Toyota Motor North America
(980) 900-8573
[email protected]