Toyota invites you to share some Christmas joy in charming animated advert

Directed by Kyra & Constantin and produced by Passions Pictures, Nora's Joy takes an honest and thoughtful look at one of the hidden aspects of the holiday season: loneliness. After the events of last year, isolation is a more pressing concern during the Christmas festivities than ever before, so it's refreshing to see an advert handle this topic and do so in a considerate fashion.

Animated in 3D CGI, the spot follows Nora as she interacts with others in her community; a fellow driver, children piled up with gifts, even a family that appears to have it all safe in the glow of their home. Meanwhile, Nora struggles to shut away from her happiness, which manifests as a light like a firefly that bursts out of her chest.

As we see her drive around her town in a prominently placed Toyota Tacoma (this is a commercial after all), we start to see Nora experience more of these emotional flourishes until she learns to release her inhibitions and set her feelings free.

It's a heartwarming message to see at this time of year and one that is sure to resonate with families and friends who have spent considerable time apart over the last few months. Watch it below.

"Realised in beautiful 3D animation, Kyra & Constantin show their natural talent for emotional storytelling and have brought a cast of engaging and endearing characters to life," says the creative team in a statement. "The film has a tactile, almost stop-motion aesthetic, whilst the red Toyota TRD at the heart of the action looks just as it does in real life."

To further extend the holiday message, Toyota is inviting customers to spread festive goodwill by sending a digital "joy jar" to their friends and loved ones. This promotion is running on the Toyota Latino Instagram channel until 3 January 2022, with participants encouraged to use the hashtag: #sharethejoy.

For every share, Toyota will donate to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund up to a total of $50,000 in support of student scholars nationwide in the US.