1997 Lexus GS Commercial: Something Wicked This Way Comes

To introduce the second generation GS, Lexus played up a sinister theme to match what was then “the world’s fastest automatic sedan”: After the modest success of the first GS, the second generation was a massive hit right from the start, with over 30,000 first year sales and a strong reception from the automotive press …

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Kevin · July 15th, 2010

Lexus LFA Commercial: Octave Harmony

There’s a new Lexus LFA commercial to watch: Although it’s strictly a remix of the previous commercial and the LFA launch video, it does a great job at explaining a key element of the LFA’s appeal — the wonderful sound of that engine.
Kevin · July 5th, 2010

Lexus LX 450 Commercial

Time for a blast from the past with this ’96 Lexus LX 450 commercial: The commercial’s slogan: “It’s everything a Lexus is, and everything a Lexus isn’t” is similar in message to the way the IS-F was introduced (“F is everything you thought we weren’t”), and for good reason. Both models expanded the Lexus brand …

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Kevin · June 30th, 2010

Lexus IS Helicopter Ballet

Not every day you watch a video featuring forty-four Lexus IS 250s performing a choreographed routine that’s filmed by helicopter: Filmed at the Ampthill Millbrook Proving Groundvehicle proving ground (presumbly for the launch of the IS in 2005), this Lexus UK presentation is strikingly similar to their LS 460 orchestra that took place in 2007, …

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Kevin · June 11th, 2010

Lexus LFA Commercial

Lexus USA has just put out a commercial for the Lexus LFA: It’s a nice play on the one of the inaugural LS 400 commercials (and was revisited during the LS 460 launch), and will be part of a wider campaign promoting the halo supercar. The NY Times has more details: The online elements, scheduled …

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Kevin · June 1st, 2010

Sleek New IS Website from Lexus Canada

Last month, we saw behind-the-scenes footage for a new Lexus commercial featuring all versions of the IS — now here’s the finished product as part of a new IS section on the Lexus Canada website: Lots of energy to the site, and definitely worth clicking through — the video quality is just fantastic. Very sleek, …

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Kevin · May 28th, 2010

Lexus CT 200h Dark Ride Interactive Movie

The Lexus CT 200h Dark Ride interactive movie has launched today, and it’s super fun — before I give too much away, make sure to go and experience it for yourself: Here’s the trailer, just to jog your memory: You never know with this sort of thing, but the Dark Ride is total quality, with …

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Kevin · May 14th, 2010

VAIS Tech Introduces VLine II LED Lights

TLE sponsor VAISTech has revealed a new accessory for your Lexus — the VLine II is a LED lighting system that improves night-time visibility while adding a distinct look: Just like all VAIStech products, the VLine II is built with the upmost quality — visit the product page for more details, including a video demonstration. …

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Kevin · May 7th, 2010

Lexus RX 450h Namaqualand Commercial

Lexus South Africa continues its analogous theme with this commercial for the RX 450h, comparing it to the Namaqualand flowers found in the country: The complexity of a hybrid system working in harmony finds a beautiful analogy in nature, with the setting also providing an ecologically-minded backdrop; still, the vehicle is billed as a performance …

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Kevin · April 28th, 2010

Smart Lexus IS F Commercial from Lexus South Africa

Lexus South Africa has a new commercial touting the relativistic properties of the IS F: Really enjoyed the unforgiving intelligence of this video—it’s a commercial that rewards repeated viewing with a better understanding of the science it describes. Best of all, it tied directly into the brand’s central message—very well done.
Kevin · April 20th, 2010

Lexus GX 460: The Rushers

The Lexus CT 200h Dark Ride trailer reminded me of The Rushers, the short movie used to advertise the new GX 460. The video featured singer Ryan Leslie, and while I did post up the trailer, I never did link to the full movie—here it is: Looks like The Rushers is a cross between Wanted …

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Kevin · April 2nd, 2010

Lexus: The Pursuit Continues…

A new Lexus commercial today—this one with a focus on quality and a return to the classic “Pursuit of Perfection” tagline: This commercial leads to a new section on the Lexus USA website devoted to quality control & safety, and includes videos of the RX 350 manufacturing process at the Cambridge Ontario plant and how …

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Kevin · March 10th, 2010

Lexus Hybrids Commercial: Milestones

Lexus heralds its expanded hybrid lineup with this commercial featuring a synchronized display of the Lexus hybrid models: The 5.5 billion mile figure quoted in the video is based on an average of 10,000 miles per year, which is less than the typical figure used in the U.S.  It’s also worth noting that the luxury …

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Kevin · March 4th, 2010

Lexus RX Superbowl Commercial

I’m late to the party on this Lexus RX commercial that debuted at this year’s Superbowl: I’ve been driving an RX 450h for the better part of three months, and I have to admit, this commercial captures much of what my final review will focus on. The RX’s best feature is how well it fits …

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Kevin · February 18th, 2010

Lexus Middle East Pursuit of Perfection Commercial

Huge fan of this Lexus commercial from the Middle East: Reminds me of the classic LS launch commercial—though obviously for a different part of the world. Love this type of lifestyle commercials when they’re done right.
Kevin · February 17th, 2010

Lexus Taiwan Commercial: Perfect

Prepare yourself for what may be the greatest Lexus garage setup ever: Classic. The only thing, the car selection’s a little dated—I think my four-Lexus rotating garage would comprise of: LFA, GS 450h, LS 460 AWD & a GX 460 for the wife. How about you?
Kevin · January 24th, 2010

Lexus & Ryan Leslie Team up for GX 460 Ad Campaign

Lexus USA will be launching a new advertising campaign for the 2010 GX 460 during next month’s BET Honors ceremony—the commercial will feature RNB artist Ryan Leslie and has a very cinematic vibe—here’s a sneak peek: Along with the teaser clip, Lexus has released a behind-the-scenes interview with Ryan, who looks to fit the role …

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Kevin · January 22nd, 2010

Lexus GX 460 Commercial: Action Hero

The U.S. launch commercial for the 2010 Lexus GX 460 is a riff on the Bat-signal: Hilarious that the mom is really driving her kids to a soccer lacrosse practice. Update: I received an email from none other than Kevin Tucker, photographer for Lacrosse Magazine, to let me know that I had made a mistake—the …

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Kevin · January 17th, 2010

Japanese Lexus LFA Commercial!

I wasn’t expecting this—Lexus Japan has released an actual commercial for the LFA: Also from Lexus Japan is this new cut of the LFA’s launch video, featuring new music and some 3D animation of the supercar’s engine and brakes: The Roar of an Angel—what a tagline. (Both of these videos were posted by O.N.O., who …

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Kevin · December 17th, 2009

1993 Lexus ES Commercial: Brass Sound

Blast from the past with this 1993 Lexus ES 300 commercial: Reminds me of the ES 350 commercial that was one of Jim Sloyan’s last Lexus voiceovers—can’t help but miss his confident (and smug) tone.
Kevin · December 14th, 2009

Lexus December to Remember 2009 Commercials

The Christmas season is upon us, which means another round of Lexus USA commercials announcing their December to Remember sales event: I’ve seen both a Hyundai and a Honda commercial mimicking this giant bow car surprise, making me wonder if this might be the last year we see Lexus using this theme. And yet, it’s …

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Kevin · December 4th, 2009

Behind-the-Scenes of Lexus ES 350 Slice Commercial

Speaking of “behind-the-scenes” and Lexus ES commercials—here’s a real backstage pass to the work that went into creating one of my favorite Lexus commercials. First, the commercial (in poor quality): Next, here’s the process of creating a real “sliced” ES 350: The lengths that (Lexus USA advertising agency) Team One goes through to get these …

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Kevin · November 12th, 2009

Lexus ES 350 Commercial: 40,000 Hours

Here’s the new commercial for the 2010 Lexus ES 350: This commercial stays with the look of the latest LS commercial, and has a “behind-the-scenes” feel. Not sure I believe that’s what the Lexus test-facilities look like, though. (A note: I recently spotted a 2010 ES at my local dealership, and was pleased to see …

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Kevin · November 12th, 2009

2010 Lexus LS 600h Commercial

There’s a new 2010 Lexus LS 600h commercial from Lexus Japan: This LS features an L-Select bright-red & black interior—don’t know if that would be my first pick with a white exterior. (On a side note: Why do all the press photos & video have to feature the same color car? I certainly wouldn’t mind …

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Kevin · November 5th, 2009

Lexus LS Commercial: Turntable

Loving this new Lexus LS commercial: What Lexus has achieved with the new LS is amazing, and it’s nice to see a commercial that focuses on just how exceptional a vehicle it is. As the (current) flagship model, I don’t think it gets enough attention—but then, maybe that’s the point? Oh, so subtle… [Source: Motiongrapher]
Kevin · October 27th, 2009

Lexus IS Family Commercial

This Lexus IS convertible commercial from Australia is pure fantastic: Each transition is breathtaking, and the IS-F roof popping off to make the IS-C is sensational. Loved it. (Thanks Charles!)
Kevin · August 12th, 2009

New Lexus RX 450h Commercials

With the 2010 Lexus RX 450h now available in US dealerships, it’s time for new commercials: This testimonial style commercial may be overdone, but it’s a safe and dependable choice—not unlike the RX hybrid. (Lexus looks to be staying the course with this model, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the hybrid RX outsold the …

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Kevin · July 7th, 2009

Lexus IS-C Commercials

Lexus USA’s advertising campaign for the IS convertible has hit Youtube, with three short, interconnected videos: Live a little, a lot looks to be the IS-C’s tagline—I wonder if there will be more episodes to this series. Neat idea.
Kevin · May 15th, 2009

Lexus GS 450h Commercial from Japan

Let’s start off the week with this GS 450h commercial from Lexus Japan, brimming with the positive message “ON and GO!”: One thing I noticed is the alternative markings for the kW energy gauge: Japanese Energy Gauge North American Energy Gauge While the North American version is much more exact, the Japanese gauge gives more …

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Kevin · April 27th, 2009

New Lexus RX Commerical: We’ve Never Been Closer

This new RX 350 commercial from Lexus Australia is an absolutely literal interpretation of the slogan “The Pursuit of Perfection”: Just what is that Lexus RX going to do when it catches perfection?
Kevin · April 20th, 2009

Lexus RX 450h Commercial from Canada

Last up is a Lexus RX 450h commercial from Canada, which also manages to feature a canine (however brief): Strange that it’s taken me so long to post this, considering that I’ve seen this commercial repeatedly over the last month or so. Filmed in Vancouver, the song is Clair de Lune by Debussy. I’m always …

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Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Lexus RX 350 Commercial from the Middle East

Next up, here’s a Lexus RX 350 commercial that borders on the just-plain weird: From what I can gather, the central point seems to be that using the Remote Touch controller won’t distract away from driving, but why a coyote? (What’s funny is that this has actually happened to me, driving home late at night …

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Kevin · April 7th, 2009

Michael Bay’s Lexus ES 330 Commercial

Loud, blurry and preposterous, this Lexus ES 330 commercial by Michael Bay would fit neatly into any one of his movies (jump to 1:02 to see the Lexus commercial directly): Somehow I doubt an airbag is going to save you from being hit by a tractor trailer.
Kevin · March 23rd, 2009

Lexus Voiceover Actor Switch Permanent?

In the latest US RX commercials, longtime Lexus voiceover actor James Sloyan was noticeably absent, replaced instead with James Remar, most recently from Sex & The City and Dexter. And now, Ad Age is reporting that the change may be permanent after talking with a Lexus spokeswoman: A Lexus spokeswoman said the marketer wanted a …

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Kevin · March 16th, 2009

Lexus ES Commercial: Touch

I noticed earlier this week that Lexus was featuring the ES 350 heavily on their US site, and it seems to have extended to TV as well:
Kevin · March 21st, 2008

Lexus ES & RX Pebble Beach Commercial, plus Pricing

Two pieces of Lexus Pebble Beach news today, first off, the much searched-for Pebble Beach commercial has surfaced on Youtube: Not much to the commercial, it’s strictly an announcement-style advertisement, but the Pebble Beach edition color really catches my attention. It’s nice to see it on more than just the SC 430. The other news …

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Kevin · March 14th, 2008

The Lexus IS-F: Coming to a theater near you

Rather than a national TV campaign, Lexus has decided to bring the IS-F to the big screen, using movie cinemas to advertise the new super-sedan: Brian Bolain, national interactive automotive events manager, says the F campaign will not use national TV ads at all. He says the cinema focus was appropriate because in no other …

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Kevin · March 12th, 2008

It’s Alive: A Lexus GS Commercial from Down Under

Here’s an absolutely brilliant commercial from Lexus Australia introducing the 2006 GS redesign: I wasn’t all that sure what was going on in the first ten seconds, but once the car started bleeding and sweating, it all came together. The thing that impressed me the most, though, was that although it’s a fantastic concept, the …

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Kevin · February 21st, 2008

New Lexus Power of H Commercial

The new Lexus Power of H commercial debuted yesterday, and today has surfaced on Youtube: After reading the synopsis released a couple days ago, I wasn’t sure how the commercial was going to pan out, but the idea is fairly strong and well executed. Most important is that Lexus has moved away from touting the …

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Kevin · February 8th, 2008

1996 Lexus LX 450 Commercial with a Surprise Twist

It turns out the IS-F isn’t the first time Lexus has marketed a vehicle as the opposite of what you’d expect from the company, take a listen to the tagline of this 1996 LX 450 commercial: “It’s everything a Lexus is, and everything a Lexus isn’t.” sounds pretty close to the IS-F’s “Everything you thought …

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Kevin · January 29th, 2008

Lexus Red Bow Christmas Videos

Some people actually do get a Lexus for Christmas — and not only that, but with Youtube, we can watch along: To be honest, I couldn’t even watch the videos all the way through, they’re rather awkward with the yelling and tears. Update: Added another video.
Kevin · December 27th, 2007

Lexus LS 430 Commercial: The Rear-View Camera

Here we have a commercial for the revised Lexus LS 430 that debuted in 2004, demonstrating the then-new backup camera option: That crazy spin at the end is icing on the cake.
Kevin · December 20th, 2007

Lexus LS 460 Commercial from The Middle East

While I’m certainly no expert about what it’s like to be wealthy in the Middle East, this Lexus commercial really captured my imagination — beautiful homes, giant yachts, private jets and LS 460s all round: As strange as it is to say, they picked a great actor for this ad, who carries it with his …

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Kevin · November 8th, 2007

Two Crazy Spanish Lexus IS Commercials

I tried to total up number of insane moments in these two Spanish Lexus IS commercials, but lost count at the Lexus surfboard: I’m seriously having a hard time writing this through the tears of laughter. Surely, we’re looking at the first time the Lexus V6 engine has been compared to a pregnant woman’s belly. …

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Kevin · October 20th, 2007

More on the New Lexus RX Pop-Up Book Commercial

Creativity Online has posted up an interview with the art director and copywriter of the Lexus RX Pop-Up Book commercial that I featured yesterday, which explains exactly how the advert was made: What was the ratio of real footage versus VFX [Video Effects]? DH [Dave Horton, Copywriter]: It was really important to keep everything looking …

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Kevin · October 18th, 2007

Lexus GS Commercial: Etiquette

It would be easy to write off the new Lexus GS commercial as a late reply to Audi’s Parking Assist mockvertisement, but in truth, it’s a much bigger statement than that: What a great distillation of Lexus — it may be a lot flashier than the ES 350 commercial I featured on the weekend, but …

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Kevin · October 17th, 2007

Lexus RX Commercial: Pop-Up Book

I’ve been waiting to see this RX commercial ever since I was sent some behind-the-scenes photos of the filming, and the final cut doesn’t disappoint: It’s hard to imagine the amount of planning necessary to pull off something like this, which doesn’t seem to use any digital effects at all. I’m surprised by the factory …

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Kevin · October 17th, 2007

Lexus ES 350 Commerical: Slice

On the face of it, this Lexus commercial is a statement of the obvious, highlighting an undoubtedly common number of sensors as though it was unique. Yet, at the same time, it manages to accurately sum up what I find so appealing about Lexus itself: “Behind every detail, there’s a detail” will now be my …

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Kevin · October 13th, 2007

Lexus Commercial: H is for Hybrid

I don’t know about the rest of the world, but here in Canada, the Lexus commercial Moments was in heavy rotation for quite some time, and was incredibly received (I know this, because people actually talked to me about it). In light of that, it comes as no surprise that the ad execs went for …

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Kevin · October 12th, 2007

Lexus LS 460 Commercial: Anechoic Chamber

As a companion to the commercial I posted on the weekend, the message in this LS 460 advert is certainly much clearer: Something about this pair of commercials fails to impress me, the cabin isolation and ultra-quiet engine are definitely features to promote, but I found the sound in both to be incredibly abrasive. It’s …

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Kevin · October 8th, 2007

Lexus LS 460 Commercial: Pin Drop

I’ll admit, the first time I watched this commercial I actually felt confused: I understood the concept, the LS 460 being so quiet while running that you could hear a pin drop, but the commercial is muddled enough that I had to watch it a couple times to really get it. I blame it on …

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Kevin · October 6th, 2007

Lexus ES 350 Commercial: Panoramic

This Lexus ES 350 commercial highlights my favorite feature of the car, and perhaps one of my favorite optional features of all time, the panoramic glass roof: The glass roof is perfectly suited to the overall design of the ES, and really the only Lexus I could picture with it. Perhaps it’s only because I’ve …

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Kevin · September 24th, 2007

Behind-The-Scenes of a New Lexus RX Commercial

Yesterday, I received an anonymous email containing photos from the production of a new RX commercial being filmed in Los Angeles, with the following information: The commercial filmed in Los Angeles in August and will feature the giant pages of a pop-up book being operated by actors playing stage hands.  I believe the ad is …

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Kevin · September 20th, 2007

Japanese Lexus LS 600h/L Commercial: Blue Lines

In the same vein as the LS 600h/L advert posted earlier this month (and which turned out to be part of Lexus’ new UK hybrid marketing campaign), this Japanese commercial also features a practically invisible LS hybrid, though this time it’s a case of speed: Wonderfully done, I was very impressed by it.
Kevin · September 17th, 2007

Lexus LS 600h Commercial: Hybrid Drive

The Lexus 600h is available only in Japan and Europe, which might explain why this commercial hasn’t made it to North American shores: It’s funny, because the invisible digital effect featured here reminds me of the car option I’m looking most forward to: the portable force field. Sure, there’s deeper, more important applications for the …

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Kevin · September 3rd, 2007

New US Tennis Open Commercial with Andy Roddick: The Big Backup

There’s a new IS commercial airing as part of Lexus’ US Tennis Open Sponsorship, featuring Andy Roddick chasing a tennis ball through New York streets: There’s a few interesting things about this commercial, one of which is a major disappointment. As you may know, Lexus is also sponsoring a US Tennis Virtual Open during the …

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Kevin · August 31st, 2007

Lexus IS 250 Commercial: The Valet

There’s something about the sound in this Lexus IS 250 commercial that really commanded my attention, the overprocessed blues music, the paddleshift click, the breathlessness, it all comes together so well: I wonder why the IS 250 and IS 350 have separate commercials, wouldn’t it make more sense to market them as a single model?
Kevin · August 27th, 2007

Lexus SC 430 Commercial with Andy Roddick for the U.S. Open

This SC 430 commercial featuring Andy Roddick and Christopher Fairbanks defies the usual Lexus formula of heightened drama and takes an altogether different route: This went completely over my head, with such a strange combination of elements. A famous tennis player, a comedian, a tree frog story and a sixties era green-screen, how could these …

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Kevin · August 16th, 2007

Classic 1992 Lexus LS Commercial: Money in the Bank

As an LS 400 owner, I always get a kick out of seeing the old commercials pop up on Youtube: It’s interesting that Lexus has maintained a very distinctive look to their advertising over the years. Save for the grainy VHS look and the car featured, this commercial could easily appear on TV today. Now …

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Kevin · August 15th, 2007

Wild (but Formal) Japanese Commercial for the RX 300/Harrier

I’m unsure exactly how this commercial would have been pitched, “You see, there’s this lion-man, ok, and he rescues this damsel in distress, all while driving a Harrier! Wild but Formal!”: Seriously, a lion-man? (Thought it was very cool to see a body kit advert at the end of the commercial, though.)
Kevin · August 7th, 2007

Lexus U.S. Open Commercial: Road Trip

The final Lexus commercial from the US Open has just appeared on the Internet, courtesy of my favorite Youtuber, bbakshow: Surprising as it may be, people searching for this commercial have made up an significant percentage of my traffic since launch, and I’m very happy to have found it. Being my first time seeing it, …

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Kevin · July 25th, 2007

Lexus IS 250 Commercial: Ball Bearing Precision

The IS 250 may lack the IS 350’s power, but it definitely has a trump card if you need traction, namely All-Wheel Drive: The IS series is a confusing one, the IS 250 has the option of a manual transmission and AWD, while the IS 350 gets the bigger engine (with an extra 100hp) but …

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Kevin · July 23rd, 2007

Hyundai’s Veracruz vs. RX 350 Commercial

Hyundai has taken Motor Trend’s rather irksome comparison of the new Veracruz and the Lexus RX350 and ran with it, producing this cute but flawed commercial: Now, Hyundai can’t be faulted for wanting to draw attention to the Motor Trend results, but is it really a smart idea to celebrate the copycat styling of the …

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Kevin · July 21st, 2007

Lexus ES 350 Commercial: Goosebumps

The opening shot of this commercial is pure gold, though I have to admit a crash-test dummy getting goosebumps is a bit freaky: One of my favorite things about the new ES 350, which you can only catch of glimpse of in this commercial, is the optional Panorama Glass roof. It almost folds up like …

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Kevin · July 18th, 2007

SC400/Soarer Commercial from Japan

All in all, this Japanese SC400/Soarer is so dull it almost doesn’t bear mentioning, save for a tagline that could stand as one of the greatest ever: Seriously, “Mind Cruising” is something that could only come from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Kevin · July 12th, 2007

Lexus Commercial: Which Golfer Will You Be?

It’s starting to feel like an everyday occurrence to find something linking Lexus with golf, and today’s no exception. As part of their U.S. Open sponsorship, three commercials were made, one of which I’ve already posted about, and here’s another: I’ll admit, at first this commercial confused me, as I searched for some connection between …

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Kevin · July 7th, 2007

Classic Lexus SC 400 Commercial

Old Lexus commercials have been popping up on Youtube non-stop — First was the LS 400 double shot, and now we have the inaugural SC 400 ad: The snapshot camera effect has to be my favorite part, it just screams of the nineties.
Kevin · July 4th, 2007