Isuzu fields Jhonty Rhodes in a bid to change the game

In the 1990s Jhonty Rhodes changed cricket when he made fielding glamorous. Japanese auto maker Isuzu now hopes the South African cricketer will be the game-changer for its D-Max V-Cross, as brand endorser for the lifestyle pick-up vehicle and the category.

Two years ago, when Isuzu launched the V-Cross in India, it was positioned as an Adventure Utility Vehicle (AUV), a new category it tried to promote. Now, Japan’s pioneering car company – it was the first car builder in Japan – is stepping up the game by getting Rhodes to drive the segment’s popularity.

The athletic South African cricketer, who is a passionate surfer, proclaimed that he was born in a pick-up almost, and spoke about the durability, reliability and performance of the vehicle, and how for an outdoor, sporty person, it was the ideal car on the roads.

For Isuzu, this association and the ‘Be the Game Changer’ campaign marks the next phase of its journey in India, said Ken Takashima, Deputy Managing Director, Isuzu Motors India. The Japanese auto maker entered India in 2012 and has so far focused on establishing a manufacturing presence and building its brand and positioning as an important player in the pick-up and utility vehicle category.

“India is changing. The Indian consumer is changing. The Indian traveller now has a thirst for adventure,” said Takashima, pointing out how the V-Cross now contributes almost 30 per cent of the sales of its portfolio in India.

He termed the association with Jhonty Rhodes, who is an embodiment for an athletic lifestyle, as a perfect match. “Cricket is a unifying force in India and the game itself has changed with its growing focus on fielding,” he pointed out.

While the campaign with Jhonty Rhodes and the messaging makes perfect sense, the question is will it prove to be a pick-me-up for the pick-up category?

After all, when it launched in 2016, Isuzu chose to term it an AUV rather than a pick-up, which in India is associated with a delivery vehicle rather than a family utility vehicle. Interestingly, in the current campaign with the cricketer, the company is calling it a lifestyle pick-up.

According to Takashima, sales of commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles in India have been 50:50 so far. And they would like this balance to remain. Isuzu has so far sold 12,000 units in India. It started manufacturing in India in 2016, and now plans to use its plant in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, as a hub for exports – Nepal and Bhutan are the first two markets it will be servicing from India.

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