Lexus Focuses on Safety in New National Ad Campaign and Web Site

17 November 1999

             Team One Advertising Uses Humor to Answer Consumers'
       Concerns About 'The Other Guy' in New Safety Campaign for Lexus

    TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 17 -- Lexus today announced the launch
of a new national advertising campaign and Web site linking Lexus with safety.
Television commercials depicting how "the other guy" drives also direct
consumers to LexusSafety.com -- a Web site developed specifically to highlight
Lexus' excellent safety features in particular and driving safety in general.
The six :15 television spots begin airing Nov. 29, with LexusSafety.com going
live on Dec. 1.  Team One Advertising of El Segundo, Calif., created the ad
campaign and oversaw the development of the Web site for client Lexus.
    The new commercials are a departure from traditional car safety ads which
typically use shots of a moving car while a voiceover ticks off a technical
list of safety features.  "Our research revealed that luxury car buyers feel
themselves to be pretty safe drivers, and are more concerned about 'the other
guy,'" notes Mike Slagter, Lexus corporate marketing manager.  "So rather than
show the target audience a mirror of itself, we've turned the focus 180
degrees to present a humorous look at the world in which the target lives."
    The six spots feature various drivers busy with other daily tasks while
behind the wheel -- changing a shirt, eating breakfast, applying eye drops,
operating a computer and talking on a cell phone -- along with the tagline,
"He/she drives the same roads you do."  As the spots end, the LexusSafety.com
address appears on the screen.  "Focus groups found consumers enjoyed real
empathy with the spots," said Tom Cordner, co-chairman creative director of
Team One.  "And they generate conversation because consumers relate to the
scenarios as part of what they see every day."
    LexusSafety.com features animation, sound and interactive
demonstrations -- highlighting both accident avoidance and protection safety
features of the Lexus line.  Visitors to the site can participate in demos,
which invite them to "Test your reaction time with our emergency braking
demo," or "See how a Lexus can help you stay on track in our handling demo."
Similarly, protection demos encourage visitors to put a Lexus through a safety
check.
    The site also features driving tips from Danny McKeever, owner/chief
instructor of Fast Lane Driving School -- including "How to Correct a Skid"
and "Breaking with ABS" -- customer testimonials, and links to non-Lexus
safety-related sites such as NHTSA and a child passenger safety site.
Finally, for those who want to delve deeper, the site also offers plenty of
technical information and illustrations.
    Lexus, the luxury vehicle division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.,
markets and sells luxury cars and sport utility vehicles through 187 dealers
in the United States.  Lexus prides itself on providing the best in vehicle
quality, service and customer satisfaction.  The company's dealers have
achieved the highest honors in customer satisfaction eight out of the last
nine years from the independent research firm J.D. Power and Associates.
Additionally, with record-setting sales in 1999, Lexus is one of the fastest
growing luxury nameplates in the industry.
    Team One Advertising is a full-service agency, including comprehensive
relationship marketing, event marketing/promotions, and interactive services.
Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., and a division of Saatchi & Saatchi, the
agency has regional offices in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.  Clients include
Lexus, the Lexus Dealer Association, e-Nutrition, Air New Zealand, the City of
El Segundo, and Partnership for a Drug Free America.  Annual billings exceed
$280 million.