Two years of lockdowns, new variants, shifting guidelines, and general anxiety has left consumers rethinking what’s important. In a nod to those shifting priorities, Lexus is using its new NX marketing campaign to encourage consumers to “find [their] something and give it everything.”
“Our priorities have changed over the course of the last few years, and what was important before is no longer the same,” said Mia Phillips, senior manager of advertising and media at Lexus. The new campaign carries the theme, “Hustle for What Matters.”
With several different powertrains (including an electric model) and an advanced touchscreen interface, “the Lexus NX is a strong representation of the future of our brand,” Phillips said. “The big takeaway is it’s a vehicle designed to fit a variety of lifestyles and folks.”
Broadcast spots in the campaign highlight many of the new features in the redesigned NX, such as its remote parking assistance and audible traffic warnings for exiting the vehicle. Several spots highlight the brand’s multicultural and LGBTQ+ marketing efforts, including a commercial depicting a pair of Black filmmakers using the car’s intuitive technology to shoot a film.
The campaign is the latest in Lexus’s ongoing efforts to broaden its appeal to the next generations of luxury car buyers. Last September, the brand unveiled a campaign that featured an original track inspired by a group of multicultural musical artists’ experience with a Lexus vehicle. Last January, the brand launched a campaign featuring eight micro-influencers to promote its IS sports sedan.
“It’s not a secret that in a few years, Generation X and Generation Y will make up the majority of the luxury vehicle marketplace,” Phillips said. “The picture that we’re painting is an aspirational one for those generations. It’s targeted at a mindset of people interested in carving their own path, and that can happen at any age.”
As with previous campaigns, Lexus will look to reach these consumers through sports broadcasts, including the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, March Madness, and NBA games. (Phillips declined to comment about whether the brand would appear on the Super Bowl.) Tellingly, the campaign will include several significant digital and streaming elements, including the largest awareness campaign ever using Roku’s OneView platform.
In addition, the brand will undertake its second-ever partnership with Twitch, in which aspiring creators will pitch their streaming ideas while riding in a Lexus. Fans will be given the opportunity to decide which creator will have the chance to make their pitch a reality. The brand has also created a Google Cloud-streamed AR experience through which consumers can evaluate a virtual representation of the car in their own driveways (or living rooms, if they so desire).
“We leaned into the digital elements to reach consumers where they live and play,” Phillips said. “We’re very excited about these partnerships.”
