I Spy With My Little Eye » Advertising, Inspiration » The new Lexus ads for the holidays…effective?
The new Lexus ads for the holidays…effective?
Admittedly, I’m no commercial director. I’ve never done a spot for TV, nor even been involved in the process. But, much like a cabinet maker can discuss the intricacies of woodworking with a deck builder, or a rabbi can network with a priest about ministering to their congregations, I think we graphic designers ARE uniquely suited to discuss advertising with our television oriented colleagues.
There is a new line of Lexus spots airing nationwide now to coincide with the holiday season. Although each uses different settings, and actors, the premise is the same: A person is given a hint to a special surprise gift via the Lexis theme song, only to find that their loved one (or ones) has a brand new Lexus waiting outside with a massive red ribbon on it.
The premise is great, and is aimed squarely at their target audience. Lexus is a luxury brand, and let’s face it, the only people who buy cars for each other for Christmas are the types who drive luxury cars. In that case, IMHO the ads are a hit.
Where I see a bit of a miss is in the actual hook to the commercial. In each, the person getting the gift is unaware before hearing the “Lexus jingle”. In one spot, the jingle is heard via a crystal music box, in another as the elevator music, in another as the song while playing “Rock Band” and still another via a cell phone ringtone. Where it stumbles for me each time is that, I personally don’t recognize the tune as “the Lexus jingle”. Unlike some other ad spots, such as the “ba da b aba ba…I’m lovin’ it!” for McDonalds or “Wanna Fanta” for Fanta soft drinks, the “I Want My Baby back” jingle for Chili’s or any others like it, I don’t feel the Lexus theme has yet become part of our collective advertising lexicon. I’m not sure that without the payoff of actually seeing the car with a ribbon on it at the end, that we as the viewers would know what the “surprise” was.
Now, I will grant you that the issue may be that I am decidedly NOT in the Lexus target audience, but since I see the ads in mostly general programming (Football games, network TV shows, etc), I would hazard a guess that many of the people seeing the ads are also NOT luxury buyers.
I think we, as the advertising arm of commerce, sometimes forget to step away and look at our brands outside of ourselves and really wonder if its truly effective, or we just THINK it us because we have such a deep understanding of the product. I have been guilty of it in the past myself, and have also had to reign others in by saying, “I know our brand is such-and-such, and you know our brand is such-and-such..but does the consumer?”
So, I’ll ask you, my reader…what do you think?
Lexus Ad: “Holiday Hero”
Lexus Ad: “Ringtone”
Lexus Ad: “Music Box”
Lexus Ad: “Elevator”
Chilis” “Baby Back Ribs” (this one featuring…of all things…N’Sync)
Fanta: “Wanna Fanta”
McDonalds: “I’m Lovin It (Global)” (this is a remix and its still recognizable)
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Filed under: Advertising, Inspiration
Thanks for posting this.
I’m with you. I am a sales & marketing professional. Also, I worked with Infiniti in the last year. I agree that the commercials will not have the impact they should (aka: fail).
Personally, I did not understand it was the Lexus Jingle even after seeing a couple of the ads. It sounded to much to me like a Christmas jingle. So the commercials missed me completely.
Note that I am here “talking” about the ad so they could claim it as a victory, but frankly when I think about the ads I remember them as irritating — which is not an emotion you want tied to your brand.
Another point to consider… Maybe the purpose of the ad was to make people more familiar with the Lexus jingle. Acting like everyone would easily recognize it makes people feel like they should know it. Even if that was the goal, I think it is still a fail. I’ve seen all the ads and still don’t recognize the jingle. The best way to have a jingle stick is to put it in an ad that is enjoyable, not shame me into remembering it. (I admit that I may be underestimating how effective this “you are to low class to recognize the Lexus jingle” strategy is for rich snobs.)
I agree the jingle is a miss. But I’m also curious about the selection of male models in the ads. Just look at the cat in Ringtone. Note his arm motions when he views the car. Now notice almost all the male leads are skinny, weak, unshaven and have silly coiffes. Bangs…really? The women must be their sisters.
What message is Lexus sending here? That not only does their marque appeal to moms, but also mama’s boys? I can’t imagine telling the guys around the poker table that I just bought a new Lexus. They’d reply, “Did you also get a new scarf?”
Ben says: ‘I can’t imagine telling the guys around the poker table that I just bought a new Lexus. They’d reply”Did you also get a new scarf?”’….
Mama’s boys? Really? What does it say about you that you’re more concerned with how your little boyfriends look at you than what an attractive female thinks lmao… I think I’ll take being a healthy weight, unshaven, scarf-wearing, headful-of-hair young attractive (to women) man than some ignorant, old, bald, clean-shaven (cause that’s oh-sooo important — excuse me while I barf), closet fag..
This is why I hate 90% of lard-ass americans, you all are out of touch with reality.
Gotta go with Gary, Ben; would it KILL you to get in touch with your feminine side? I mean the ad shows how the young and attractive Women are eating it up, while you and I sit…eating on the couch. As far as the spot goes, Lexus has succeeded in irritating me to the extent that I had never heard the piece with a tin ear for classical, could not distinguish it having heard all three ads. It just left me wondering how you get that into an elevator. Is that an MP3, did she climb up there or something? Then next on a music box… really? It seemed like it played slow or something, only to be left out of the game altogether with the Pseudo Guitar Band rendition of the holiday jingle for which I could not distinguish, the pantomimic aspects making it very uncomfortable for me.
Lexus knows its vehicles primarily appeal to women. These ads try to stretch into metrosexual men, but instead use boys who probably looked in good in their 8x10s…but in motion, seem out of touch with women and cars. Well, maybe not a Lexus. Or a poodle.