The "You Can't Stop My Drive" campaign received the Gold Award in the Cultural Fluency category, for best demonstrating how insights and research can elevate creative work and deliver measurable brand impact. This prestigious award allowed the agency the opportunity to qualify and ultimately become the Grand Winner across all categories.
Agency's work for Toyota Celebrating
Black Men Say, 'You Can't Stop My Drive.'
CHICAGO, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Burrell Communications Group, the founding agency of BCG Worldwide (BCGWW), the only Black-owned agency network, has been named the Grand Winner of the 2025 ARF David Ogilvy Awards for its Toyota Motor North America campaign celebrating Black men.
The "You Can't Stop My Drive" campaign received the Gold Award in the Cultural Fluency category, for best demonstrating how insights and research can elevate creative work and deliver measurable brand impact. This prestigious award allowed the agency the opportunity to qualify and ultimately become the Grand Winner across all categories.
For more than 20 years, Toyota has built a relationship with the Black consumer, established primarily on the pragmatism of quality, dependability, and reliability. But reaching Black men had been more of a challenge.
Burrell's research team, in partnership with Toyota, conducted a three-part, multi-layered ethnographic study, designed to unearth the deeper emotional triggers Black men were grappling with every day. From the research, Burrell discovered that mobility was the key to unlocking new realities for Black men in their worlds.
The campaign was well-received by Black men and women, younger consumers, and non-Toyota owners. Although the campaign was geared toward Black men, it also performed well against the general market. To date, the campaign has garnered significant shifts in brand perceptions and purchase intent.
Mike Tripp, Group VP, Marketing for Toyota Motor North America, said, "Our brand's recognition by the ARF with the David Ogilvy Award underscores our commitment to effectively reach our customers with the right messaging. This work from Burrell is inspiring, empowering, and impactful. We are proud of their efforts and honored to have them as our partner."
The campaign broke in-market in January and ran through June 2025. It is inflected with optimism about the future and the role automotive mobility plays in that journey.
NBA superstar Damian Lillard narrates the television spot, showing young adult Black men in various settings, each with a different model of Toyota. Some are famous: Westin Workman, GR Cup Racer; fashion influencer Devan on Deck; and Lillard himself, who also owns a Toyota dealership.
"In case you didn't know, these young men are different," the v/o says. "Quite remarkable. Magnificent. And unmistakable. No, they don't dream. They manifest.
"They are unapologetic about who they are and what they want. These are not your 'little homies.' They do not seek your guidance or mentorship… They are the ones we've been waiting for."
The spot ends with the final rallying cry, "You can't stop my drive."
"It's so satisfying for this work to be recognized with this top honor," said Tara DeVeaux, CEO of Burrell Communications Group. "Our partners at Toyota really embraced this campaign based on rigorous research and their desire to recognize Black men for who they are—creators, innovators, friends, family men. We're incredibly proud of the work and our longstanding partnership with this esteemed brand."
Creative Credits
Toyota Motor North America:
Mike Tripp, Group Vice President
Dedra DeLilli, Vice President
Dionne Colvin-Lovely, Group Manager
Whitney Kennedy Consumer Insights Senior Manager
Burrell Communications Group, LLC:
Jeffrey Fortune, VP, Planning &Strategy
Tonya Roberts, VP, Consumer Insights
Corey D. Seaton, VP, Group Creative Director
Rapport Marketing Research:
Monique Madara, Principal and Founder
Collage Group:
Vivienne Hayes, Research Manager, Custom Insights
Emiley Beeson, Director, Custom Insights
ABOUT BURRELL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
Burrell Communications Group is the 2025 Grand Winner of the ARF's David Ogilvy Award for its "You can't stop my drive" work on behalf of Toyota North America. Burrell was founded in 1971 by renowned ad man Tom Burrell, who led the company for 33 years. Today, Burrell Communications Group is the largest U.S. Black-owned agency specializing in understanding and speaking to today's market, one that is more diverse and more multicultural than ever before in our country's history. The agency boasts a roster of premiere, blue-chip clients that lead in their respective categories, including Toyota, Comcast, Deloitte, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Exact Sciences and the American Red Cross. For more information, visit www.burrell.com.
ABOUT THE ARF
Founded in 1936, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) has emerged as the preeminent authority on unbiased quality in advertising, media, and marketing research. With over 400 member companies, ARF's powerful knowledge, unified standards, and best practices have proven invaluable, time and again. The ARF continues to drive continuous improvement in advertising and marketing practices by fostering collaboration and innovation, shaping the industry's future. For more information, visit thearf.org.
Media Contact
Kathleen Sampey, TKS Media, 1 7189306108, [email protected]
SOURCE Burrell Communications Group
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