Is the Lexus Super Bowl Commercial “Super Bowl” Enough for the Super Bowl?
01-17-15, 01:12 PM
#16
Boardroom Thug
Too corny, I will dislike their marketing \ branding of lately.
Not sure what it is, but BMW\Audi\MB booths were jammed packed at the auto show, Toyota booth was SLAMMED! Lexus was blah.
What are they going to do to make this exciting again?
Not sure what it is, but BMW\Audi\MB booths were jammed packed at the auto show, Toyota booth was SLAMMED! Lexus was blah.
What are they going to do to make this exciting again?
01-17-15, 01:30 PM
#17
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by J.P.
Not sure what it is, but BMW\Audi\MB booths were jammed packed at the auto show, Toyota booth was SLAMMED! Lexus was blah.
You think it was maybe because of the spindle grilles? I know there are indeed some people who like them, and others who are indifferent and just not an issue for them. But we also know that they are controversial, and do tend to polarize a fair number of people one way or another.
I'll be at the D.C. show for several days (it starts next Friday)...we'll see how the Lexus booth does there.
01-17-15, 01:37 PM
#18
Boardroom Thug
People can make the argument that its Detroit and Lexus won't be packed, but if thats the case why was Toyota packed? It was a farggin zoo in the Toyota booth!
Grills maybe.... but the brand image, perception, marketing-advertising is not exciting, does it say, I want to be a part of their brand? are the cars exciting so people everywhere are talking about them?
I am afraid the image has become one of value, and value often isnt exciting but fits the pocket book nice.
Grills maybe.... but the brand image, perception, marketing-advertising is not exciting, does it say, I want to be a part of their brand? are the cars exciting so people everywhere are talking about them?
I am afraid the image has become one of value, and value often isnt exciting but fits the pocket book nice.
01-17-15, 01:56 PM
#19
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^^ correct. In the GSF thread, there are a few media introductions of the GSF and all of them say that it doesn't have enough power going against the M5, E63 etc. The only saving grace is that its price could be 20K cheaper. When it comes to luxury cars, being the value proposition is not a good place to be
01-17-15, 01:58 PM
#20
Lexus Fanatic
Grills maybe.... but the brand image, perception, marketing-advertising is not exciting, does it say, I want to be a part of their brand? are the cars exciting so people everywhere are talking about them?
I am afraid the image has become one of value, and value often isnt exciting but fits the pocket book nice.
I am afraid the image has become one of value, and value often isnt exciting but fits the pocket book nice.
01-17-15, 05:15 PM
#21
Lexus Fanatic
Ads or not, one certainly cannot point to Acura as an example of good effective marketing. (I'm not saying you were, but just using it as a metaphor). They are run by what is arguably the most stubborn management in the industry.
my point was to point to Acura as an example of poor marketing...because they kept marketing the way Lexus marketed in that 1992 ad until just recently.
01-17-15, 05:39 PM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
my point was to point to Acura as an example of poor marketing...because they kept marketing the way Lexus marketed in that 1992 ad until just recently.
Somehow, though, after the 1990s, Acura seemed to almost completely lose their way both in ads and design (IMO from poor management), and, except maybe for the MDX, their products generally faded, while those of Lexus continued to dominate.
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-17-15 at 05:43 PM.
01-17-15, 05:57 PM
#23
Lexus Fanatic
There were actually a number of differences between Lexus and Acura marketing, even back then. First, Acura was a clear success back then, before they started the long slide from which they never really recovered. Lexus, in contrast, even with the initial success of the LS400, didn't have much else in the line-up, and was still cruising along in Mercedes' rear-view mirror. Second, people still knew Acuras by their real names (Integra, Legend, Vigor, etc...) and not the confusing alphabet-soup designations. Third, Acura's styling, back then, wasn't characterized by the silliness of the parrot-beaks and what we saw on the last TL and ZDX. Lexus, on the other hand, concentrated their ads (and engineering) on quality, refinement, and comfort (and the voice of Mr. Lexus)....and it paid off, even though Lexus never used actual names like Acura did, but the letter/number stuff.
Somehow, though, after the 1990s, Acura seemed to almost completely lose their way both in ads and design (IMO from poor management), and, except maybe for the MDX, their products generally faded, while those of Lexus continued to dominate.
Somehow, though, after the 1990s, Acura seemed to almost completely lose their way both in ads and design (IMO from poor management), and, except maybe for the MDX, their products generally faded, while those of Lexus continued to dominate.
As for the marketing. That sort of marketing was very effective in the early 90s. Not so much anymore. Times change, generations change, approaches have to change. Acura is out there still trying to sell luxury cars on "value"...and they're about 20 years behind the times. At least this NX ad isn't quoting resale values and quality rankings.
Last edited by SW17LS; 01-17-15 at 06:06 PM.
01-17-15, 06:45 PM
#24
Lexus Champion
You think it was maybe because of the spindle grilles? I know there are indeed some people who like them, and others who are indifferent and just not an issue for them. But we also know that they are controversial, and do tend to polarize a fair number of people one way or another.
I'll be at the D.C. show for several days (it starts next Friday)...we'll see how the Lexus booth does there.
I'll be at the D.C. show for several days (it starts next Friday)...we'll see how the Lexus booth does there.
Regarding the GS-F, styling is arguably its major attracting point right now, given how down on power it is compared to the competition. If it had more conservative styling coupled with the ho-hum power output, then there would be no reason to go look at one at an autoshow.
Instead I think a lack of new more high volume products would be to blame for less foot traffic. Even a refreshed GS would have helped.
01-17-15, 06:48 PM
#25
Lexus Fanatic
You don't have to teach me, or a lot of other people on this site FYI. A lot of us know just as much about cars and the history of these brands as you do...if not more. I'd like to see more of your opinions, and less lectorial demonstrations of your knowledge. I mean, do you seriously think that I don't know Lexus didn't start out with much more than the LS400 in the early 90s? Or that Acura used model names, and what those model names were? Or that Acura was quite successful in the late 80s through the mid 90s? I'm a lifelong car enthusiast for God's sake.
As for the marketing. That sort of marketing was very effective in the early 90s. Not so much anymore. Times change, generations change, approaches have to change. Acura is out there still trying to sell luxury cars on "value"...and they're about 20 years behind the times. At least this NX ad isn't quoting resale values and quality rankings.
As far as quality goes, it is a typical new Lexus......doesn't seem to be any better or worse in build quality than any other Lexus vehicle in its price range, at least from what I could tell from the my recent review. I think Hoovey also came up with more or less the same conclusion on his review.
01-17-15, 06:51 PM
#26
Lexus Fanatic
I give up. If I bang my head against my desk any longer it's going to leave a mark
01-17-15, 07:03 PM
#27
Lexus Fanatic
I know you don't like the spindle but I think it's wrong to say it's having a negative effect on people being interested in Lexus. Even those who may not like it will at least take the opportunity to check it out in person at an autoshow. Polarizing design will always pull a crowd.
Regarding the GS-F, styling is arguably its major attracting point right now, given how down on power it is compared to the competition. If it had more conservative styling coupled with the ho-hum power output, then there would be no reason to go look at one at an autoshow.
01-29-15, 05:10 AM
#29
The pursuit of F
Forbes: Lexus Super Bowl Ad Gets To Point: NX Plugs Product Hole
From Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss...-product-hole/
For Lexus, the message of its Super Bowl commercial will be very straight and to the point: We should have had a compact crossover in the market before now, but the one we’ve got, the all-new Lexus NX, is a helluva vehicle.
No anthems about fatherhood or motherhood, no heart-tugging scenes with pets, no slapstick humor, no celebrities, no modern retellings of ancient fables. For the Toyota-owned luxury brand, this opportunity is all about showing off its first entry in the hottest segment in the luxury business, one where some of its competitors still don’t have a dog in the hunt.
“What drove us to be in the Super Bowl is a fortunate confluence of timing,” Brian Bolain, Lexus corporate marketing manager, told me. “We’re launching the all-new NX turbo and hybrid, in a segment we haven’t been in before. It’s very important to the industry and it’s the hottest segment in the industry. The timing of the Super Bowl coincided almost precisely with the launch time for the vehicle, so it’s a big opportunity to make a statement.”
The statement comes in the form of an ad, “Make Some Noise,” recently released on Lexus’s official YouTube channel, that is set to air during the first half of the Big Game on February 1 on NBC. It simply shows the NX being put through its paces in a visually arresting fashion, accompanied by “music” that has various noises that the car makes embedded in its beat — sort of like that Delta faucet commercial where a “drummer” “plays” plumbing as instruments.
Actually, it’s stunning that Lexus wasn’t doing a Super Bowl ad for a vehicle like this a year, or two, or even three years ago. Arguably, Lexus established an early and lofty industry standard for mid-size luxury SUVs with the introduction of its RX 300 in 1998. Competitors basically spent the next decade trying to catch up with RX. But lately Lexus and a sprinkling of rivals have fallen behind other brands that were quicker to market with premium compact SUVs, including Audi with its Q3 and Buick with its Encore.
Lexus sold more premium vehicles in the US each year for more than a decade through 2010, then the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011 set back the brand in more ways than one. And in the meantime, BMW and Mercedes-Benz swooped in with their brands’ own growth arcs, putting Lexus firmly in third place, and the two German brands have been fighting it out for first place in the U.S. market since then.
The new spot for NX doesn’t exactly follow up on the recent tack by Lexus toward racier, or at least edgier, TV advertisements than the brand had been fielding since its inception. But it’s definitely got the same kind of energy.
“In years past, Lexus has been a rational brand, and typical advertising for Lexus would have been proof of product benefit and quality and something like that,” Bolain agreed. “But it is clear for us to engage the buyer it’s ultimately about the experience they get from owning the product. So [in the NX spot] you’ll see a lot about what the product adds to your life, and the emotional pull this product offers to you.”
Can NX help Lexus get back to the No. 1 spot in the U.S. luxury market?
“I don’t know,” Bolain said. “But NX certainly will add some volume because of the size of that segment and the growth it’s experiencing. We’re looking to sell about 35,000 NX this year.”
No anthems about fatherhood or motherhood, no heart-tugging scenes with pets, no slapstick humor, no celebrities, no modern retellings of ancient fables. For the Toyota-owned luxury brand, this opportunity is all about showing off its first entry in the hottest segment in the luxury business, one where some of its competitors still don’t have a dog in the hunt.
“What drove us to be in the Super Bowl is a fortunate confluence of timing,” Brian Bolain, Lexus corporate marketing manager, told me. “We’re launching the all-new NX turbo and hybrid, in a segment we haven’t been in before. It’s very important to the industry and it’s the hottest segment in the industry. The timing of the Super Bowl coincided almost precisely with the launch time for the vehicle, so it’s a big opportunity to make a statement.”
The statement comes in the form of an ad, “Make Some Noise,” recently released on Lexus’s official YouTube channel, that is set to air during the first half of the Big Game on February 1 on NBC. It simply shows the NX being put through its paces in a visually arresting fashion, accompanied by “music” that has various noises that the car makes embedded in its beat — sort of like that Delta faucet commercial where a “drummer” “plays” plumbing as instruments.
Actually, it’s stunning that Lexus wasn’t doing a Super Bowl ad for a vehicle like this a year, or two, or even three years ago. Arguably, Lexus established an early and lofty industry standard for mid-size luxury SUVs with the introduction of its RX 300 in 1998. Competitors basically spent the next decade trying to catch up with RX. But lately Lexus and a sprinkling of rivals have fallen behind other brands that were quicker to market with premium compact SUVs, including Audi with its Q3 and Buick with its Encore.
Lexus sold more premium vehicles in the US each year for more than a decade through 2010, then the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011 set back the brand in more ways than one. And in the meantime, BMW and Mercedes-Benz swooped in with their brands’ own growth arcs, putting Lexus firmly in third place, and the two German brands have been fighting it out for first place in the U.S. market since then.
The new spot for NX doesn’t exactly follow up on the recent tack by Lexus toward racier, or at least edgier, TV advertisements than the brand had been fielding since its inception. But it’s definitely got the same kind of energy.
“In years past, Lexus has been a rational brand, and typical advertising for Lexus would have been proof of product benefit and quality and something like that,” Bolain agreed. “But it is clear for us to engage the buyer it’s ultimately about the experience they get from owning the product. So [in the NX spot] you’ll see a lot about what the product adds to your life, and the emotional pull this product offers to you.”
Can NX help Lexus get back to the No. 1 spot in the U.S. luxury market?
“I don’t know,” Bolain said. “But NX certainly will add some volume because of the size of that segment and the growth it’s experiencing. We’re looking to sell about 35,000 NX this year.”
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