Fresh Off Toyota’s Viral Smash “Swagger Wagon”, We take a ride with Composer Justin Bailey, Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Team, Donnell Johnson and Stephan Baik, and Director Jody Hill, To Talk Rap and Minivans

-Where did the idea for a rap video come from?

Dojo and Steph (Saatchi): The idea came from product itself. We thought it was time the minivan stopped being looked at as a badge of shame. To us, the new Sienna(s) represented the awesomeness of parenthood today and years to come. Like the minivan, families are constantly evolving. They’re getting more stylish, cooler and more fun. Modern parents are more like the Huxtables or Griswolds than the Cleavers. We wanted this to be an anthem celebrating that notion.
We used videos like Snoop’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and Jay-Z’s “On To The Next One” as references. Each featured aspirational cars and we thought the Black & White look would make the SE even more stellar.

-What’s everyone’s favorite rap song/ video of all time?

Dojo and Steph: We’re both 80’s/90s hip-hop fans. Wu-Tang’s Protect Yo Neck, PE’s Fight The Power. KRS-1. RUN-DMC. Eric B & Rakim, Snoop. Dre. Biggie. ‘Pac… The list is endless.
Justin (Black Iris): This one’s a tough call because I’m a huge fan of Golden Era hip hop and could probably talk shop all day about it. Tribe, EPMD, Gang Starr, Main Source, Pharcyde, everything you mentioned, I just love it. If I had to pick a favorite song, though, it would be anything off of Tribe’s “The Low End Theory” or Organized Konfusion’s “Roosevelt Franklin” or “Releasing Hypnotical Gasses”. That first record was different than anything else when it came out. Unfortunately, I grew up without MTV so I never saw any videos.
Jody (Caviar): Easy. Favorite Rap Song = Wu-Tang Clan “Ain’t Nuthin ta Fuck Wit’. Favorite Rap Video = Jay-Z “99 Problems”

-How did you come to work with BI? What was that experience like?

Dojo and Steph: Like with Jody (Foot Fist Way, Eastbound & Down) we chose Black Iris for the style of work they’ve done outside the ad world and the experience was great! We said, “Uh, here are rough lyrics and random thoughts…please help.” They crushed it. So much so in fact, if there’s ever a follow-up video we even have tracks for that.
Justin: It was great feeling like everyone shared a brain when it came to a sense of humor and selecting the content of the lyrics. That relieved any pressure from it. Caitlin Orrison (co-writer) and I would spend hours just firing off lines back and forth, and we came up with some pretty raw stuff that we never even submitted. But we were happy to explore until we came up with the best we could, and I think the end result reflects that.
Dojo and Steph: Well, [Jody]’s SUPER collaborative and willing to try 1,001 things you want. But, that said, we also knew to get out his way and let him do his thing. Working with Justin we tried to do the same; Give him space, and like Jody, when we did give him awful feedback and terrible suggestions he’d spit out gold.
Justin: When we first saw what you had done with Jody and the cast we were bowled over by how it turned out. I’ve seen the video so many times now and- even though I know the next line- the visuals still make me laugh.

- Justin, was there anything you wish would have stayed in the final version of the song?

Justin: I’m happy with what ended up in the song. There are so many good lines! I can only think of two rhymes I really like that didn’t make the cut. “I change a dirty diaper like it ain’t no thing, carpool punctuality brings me neighborhood fame.” Caitlin’s favorite omission is “Don’t like my tie? Well, my kid picked it out for me. You can’t front ‘cause at 2 he knew his ABC’s.”

-Is it possible to be cool driving a minivan?

Jody: If you smoke weed while you’re doing it. (Laughs).
Dojo and Steph: Hellz yes. Driving a Sienna means you have family. It means you’re proud and comfortable with yourself and the life you have now. That’s cool. That’s swagger, mutha-father.
Jody: Just Kidding, you can be cool if you own it and that’s what the message here is. Cool is in the eye of the beholder.
Justin: [Yeah] I also used to drive a minivan years ago when I played in a band. We packed it like a game of Tetris and toured all over.

-Only a week after its release the video had well over a million hits, and is now almost at three. Did you anticipate it being this successful?

Dojo and Steph: No. You can only hope a video goes ‘viral.’ We thought people would like the song and the message behind it. Getting over a million hits is great but our favorite part is hearing/reading folks say they’re proud to rock their minivans or wish they had a Sienna, cause that was the [goal].