Toyota turns HiLux into children’s storybook series

Toyota Australia is taking HiLux into bedtime stories, launching a six-part children’s book series aimed at Australian families.

The series follows Hitch the HiLux and his dog Rocky on a road trip across Australia, meeting other HiLux characters and Australian animal families along the way. The books are designed to connect HiLux with family rituals beyond the road, using storytelling to extend the ute’s links to road trips and adventure.

The series was a partnership betweem Spark Foundry, Medium Rare and News Corp Australia.

“The HiLux has long been a part of the great Australian road trip, the vehicle families trust to head out on the road and make memories together. With Hitch the HiLux, we wanted to bring the same feeling of connection to bedtime, creating a simple ritual that helps parents and kids slow down and bond at the end of a long day,” Vin Naidoo, chief marketing officer at Toyota Australia, said.

Each book will be released over the campaign period and mailed directly to households that subscribe through a dedicated online hub.

“Hitch the HiLux has been one of the most rewarding campaigns to bring to life, embedding Toyota into real family moments. It’s a deliberate choice to do something different, stepping outside the expected category playbook to focus on an idea that earns attention through connection,” Rhonda Dunlop, national head of partnerships and integration at Spark Foundry, said.

The book series follows Toyota Australia’s latest campaign under the Don’t Send a Ute to do a HiLux Job platform, developed with Saatchi & Saatchi Australia. Hitch the HiLux and the Great Aussie Road Trip storybooks will be available until July 2026.