The first episode of the Lexus CT 200h Darkcasting talkshow hosted by Whitney Cummings is up, and it’s a tour around New York with DJ Harley Viera-Newton, author Baratunde Thurston, and chef Carlo Mirarchi:
Besides repeated usage of the backup camera, the CT 200h plays a supporting role in the videos, and according to an article in Variety, this is intentional:
…the carmaker’s turned to branded entertainment as a way to put a spotlight on the car and come up with ways to put consumers inside the car without a hard sell — while appealing to more than just car fans.
“We were faced with filling a year to make people believe that they knew something about the car without seeing the car,” said Brian Bolain, marketing strategy manager for Lexus. “At the end of the day, we’ve chosen this entertainment approach because most people have to purchase a car but not everybody is a car person.”
With this in mind, I’d say Darkcasting works quite well. One thing’s for sure, Lexus made a good choice for the host — Whitney Cummings keeps the videos interesting and moving along at a good pace.
[Source: Variety]