Toyota, Burger King and More Celebrate 'Back to the Future'

Brands and agencies know that "Back to the Future" fans have been waiting for this day for decades. To celebrate the date when Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrived in the future in "Back to the Future 2"—Oct. 21, 2015—we're seeing everything from Burger King hovertrays to DeLorean rides courtesy of ride-hailing app Lyft. Here are a few "Back to the Future" tributes: Toyota today unveils the full-length version of its homage to "Back to the Future," promoting its new Mirai hydrogen fuel car. In the ad, a car enthusiast and fan of the movie meets Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd (Marty McFly and Doc Brown) in a diner and promises to show them a car that really does use trash as fuel. The spot, by Droga5, features locations and music from the original film that will get fans truly nostalgic, with Fox and Lloyd coming across (as themselves, rather than the characters) in a pretty authentic way. At the same time, it does a good job of introducing the Mirai to consumers. Already available in Japan, it goes on sale on Oct. 21 in California -- the same date "Back to the Future" celebrates its 30th anniversary. In France, Buzzman Paris refashioned the movie's fictional hoverboard in a spot featuring the hovertray. At a Burger King restaurant, one guys complains that they are never going to find seats. "Seats?" asks his friend. "Where we're going, we don't need seats." A voiceover explains that with the Burger King hovertray, "you'll never have to carry your tray again." A customer texts and drinks as his hovertray glides smoothly alongside him. The voiceover adds, "Plus you can enjoy your meal even if you can't find a seat," before a customer points out, "But if you already have a seat it's pointless." "Totally," the voiceover concedes, "But it's cool." Lyft partnered with Verizon to offer free DeLorean rides to passengers in New York between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. today who selected "McFly Mode" on Lyft's mobile app. But the rides are only 15 minutes long. Earlier this month, Pepsi announced the arrival of "Pepsi Perfect," the soda that Marty McFly ordered in the second film in the trilogy. The soda will be sold online in very limited quantities. Only 6,500 16.9 oz bottles in collectible cases are available, and they aren't cheap: Each one sells for $20.15. Pepsi's video ad feels every bit as '80s as the movie the inspired it, replete with big hairstyles and bombastic, robo-inspired music. It aired only twice on TV, but you can see it here: In possibly the coolest skateboard film ever, Lexus unveiled "Hoverboard." Lexus and agency CHI & Partners said they had created a hoverboard, reminiscent of the levitating board Michael J. Fox rode. One of the stunts includes jumping over a moving Lexus. And we were intrigued to see that McKee Wallwork & Company, a winner of Ad Age's Small Agency Awards, used the trophies to build a flux capacitator.

Toyota, Burger King and More Celebrate 'Back to the Future'

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