As one of Australia’s premier summer music festivals, Lost Paradise prides itself on partnerships that feel meaningful, aligned and additive to the patron experience. Brands can’t simply show up.
With 84% of attendees aged 18–24, the LP audience is culturally literate and wields a highly-tuned "brand radar". Forced partnerships are called out, and patrons disengage.
When Toyota - one of Australia’s most trusted brands - approached the Layers team to get involved with Lost Paradise, it was clear they understood this.
Their ambition wasn’t to dominate the festival. It was to begin a long-term relationship with the next generation of drivers in a way that felt genuine.
So we built a strategy around restraint.
Under the tagline "Lost Paradise, powered by Toyota,” we positioned the Toyota brand as a a quiet enabler of the Lost Paradise experience, integrated in a way that felt natural instead of intrusive or overpowering.
In the lead-up to the event - held over NYE and across the height of the summer holiday period - Toyota vehicles featuring understated, co-branded decals were driven across Sydney and to the festival site, sparking organic hype from fans who spotted them in the wild.
A 30-second social film featuring the 2026 model HiLux captured the festival’s bump-in and built anticipation amongst patrons, leveraging content patrons were clamouring for to reach 65,000 people, generate 121,000 views and naturally integrate the Toyota brand into patrons' social media feeds. The film was also rolled across main stage screens throughout the four-day event, showcasing the site and positioning Toyota as a key supporter of the festival.
On the ground, the newly released 2026 Toyota Hilux became the centrepiece of a subtle pop-up activation. Positioned in a high-traffic corridor during peak movement hours, the vehicle doubled as a base for a tightly-timed, high-impact merch moment — distributing 2,000+ Toyota-branded festival essentials (hats, sunscreen, sunglasses and camping items) to an enthusiastic reception.
The response was organic and thoroughly resonant. With nearly 20% of attendees identifying as working in trades, many immediately recognised the new Hilux. Conversations were sparked naturally, with attendees asking to see the vehicle and asking about pricing - an unexpected but telling moment inside a youth music environment.
Post-event data reinforced the approach:
30% brand recall amongst attendees
Strong engagement across social media
Zero negative sentiment in a culturally sensitive space
By resisting the temptation to be loud, Toyota earned credibility - supporting culture in lieu of interrupting it, and setting the stage for a deeper Year Two activation built on trust rather than visibility alone.
"As a first‑time sponsor, Toyota had an excellent experience partnering with Lost Paradise and Carriageworks via the Layers team. Their professionalism, transparency & collaborative spirit made our ‘summer campaign feeling’ journey both smooth and rewarding." - Emma O'Brien, Marketing & Dealer Support Manager, Toyota
