The Japanese know a thing or two about cars.

And Suzuki Canada is banking on this expertise in a new campaign designed to overturn the automaker’s relatively unsophisticated reputation in this country.

‘We want to convey the message that `Hey, we’re big!” says Mike Kurnik, national advertising manager for Suzuki Canada’s automotive division.

In its 10 years of operation in Canada, Toronto-based Suzuki has been known primarily as the company of choice for first-time new car buyers looking for a deal. That is, if consumers wanted to buy a sturdy but inexpensive little car for their university-bound son or daughter, they would consider a Suzuki Sprint.

But even that knowledge was not widespread. In fact, Suzuki was a relative unknown compared to its advertising-heavy peers.

Even more alarming, Suzuki found that many Canadians were unaware that the company was even Japanese, says Kurnik – and that needed to be fixed.

The company hired Toronto’s Padulo Advertising last May and drew up a long-term marketing plan – something it had failed to do before, says Kurnik. In the past, Suzuki’s approach was tactical, based on whatever the company felt like selling at a particular time, he says.

‘We’ve got a bunch of these to sellit’s the summer so let’s give free air conditioningthis was a marketing plan,’ Kurnik says.

The agency developed three 30-sec. tv spots, airing now, that tie the Suzuki name to Japan. ‘The Japanese know a thing or two about style’ begins one commercial, with a close-up of Japanese calligraphy, while the other commercials focus on detail and strength.

All three mix Suzuki-brand clips with Japanese cultural cornerstones, such as geishas, kendo fighters and sushi, with a strong taiko drum soundtrack.

All spots end with the new company tag line ‘All you have to do is drive one.’

The tv buy, also by Padulo, lasts for 52 weeks – again, a first for the company which used to buy television for only a few select months, says Kurnik.

There is also a print buy in women’s magazines (to highlight the Esteem) and auto trade publications (focusing on the Sidekick).

With the company’s introduction of more upscale brands such as the Esteem sedan and the X-90 two-seater convertible sports utility, Suzuki was ready to go after more than just the folks who wanted their first car or a ‘runaround’ second car.

‘It was time to offer an opportunity for current owners to trade up in the Suzuki family,’ says Kurnik.

For the first time in its Canadian history, the company has used direct marketing to drive sales. This summer, 50,000 Suzuki owners received details on a $9.95 oil and filter change at the 110 dealerships across Canada. The idea was to bring happy Suzuki owners into the dealerships where they could test drive the higher-end models, says Kurnik.

‘(The direct mail campaign) generated well over half a million dollars in additional revenue,’ he says.

Kurnik is quick to point out that the introduction of higher-end models does not mean the company is going after the luxury market.

‘We’ll never make a luxury sedan,’ he says, adding that Suzuki’s edge is that it sells reliable cars at a very affordable price.