Toyota shifts gears on ads By Associated Press/ BostonHerald.com Monday, March 8, 2010 New ads for troubled automaker Toyota Motor Corp. are skipping the apologies and easing back into sales pitches - too soon, some say.       The campaign pushes the idea that Toyota customers remain loyal, even as the company faces congressional inquiries and some reports that its repairs may not fix the problem.       The new campaign, by Toyota’s main ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi, emphasizes what Toyota says are real satisfied buyers testifying that they still feel safe in their new Toyotas even after weeks of revelations about accelerator problems.       “And our own personal experience? These cars that we’ve had have been exceptionally safe,” baby boomer Mark Murphy says in one ad. The ad says he and his wife, Donna, bought a Corolla and a Sienna on Feb. 20.       The new campaign, which started March 2 and is scheduled to run through April 5, does one thing right, marketing experts say: Troubled brands have to play to their strengths by wooing loyal fans. But some say skipping past the apologies could make Toyota look like it’s mocking safety concerns that are still very real.       Ford Motor Co., for example, laid low on heavy sales pitches for its Ford Explorer for months in 2000 after blowouts of Bridgestone tires used on the SUVs caused blowouts that led to more than 250 traffic deaths.       People need time to digest bad news, so companies shouldn’t try to start selling too soon, said Mike Sheldon, CEO of ad agency Deutsch LA.       ( © Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )