Lexus has launched an online entertainment “channel” today called L Studio, which looks to be a continuation of the company’s movement towards becoming a true lifestyle brand. From Reuters:
The carmaker is launching an Internet-only branded channel Tuesday (September 23) stocked with a full slate of original programing headlined by [Lisa] Kudrow [from Friends] in a shortform comedy series in which she plays a nutty shrink.
In an effort to keep the buzz going for the project, Lexus plans to recruit more celebrity contributors in the coming months. For now, the rest of L Studio is an eclectic mix of high-toned nonfiction programing that concerns everything from art to architecture to science. Some notable figures who are profiled on the site include the Doors’ Ray Manzarek and designer Patricia Field.
Taken together, the connective thread between the programing mix and the Lexus brand, Blanchard said, is the theme of innovation. “We kind of look at ourselves as a broadband HBO,” she said. “Being on broadband in and of itself is innovative for a lot of these artists.”
One of the videos posted is a tour of the Hybrid Living Suites, a joint project by Fairmont Hotels & Lexus — and while the site offers embedded video, I’ve been unable to get it working. There was also mention of a series featuring artists repurposing old Lexus’, similar to what Kelly LaPlante did with the hotel room. I’ll be on the lookout for that, stay tuned!
Update: Here’s a promo video from Youtube:
[Source: Reuters]