Forget the Halls...Deck the Driveway

New Advertising Campaign Makes Lexus Present Perfect

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 18 -- Sales associate Jamie Klein of Park Place Lexus in Plano, Tex., remembers clearly the look on the woman's face when she opened the front door. Klein -- holding a beautifully wrapped gift box containing keys to a new performance sedan -- visited the woman's house to deliver a shiny, new Lexus GS.

"Sitting on her driveway was the GS decorated with a bright red bow on top, just like the Lexus commercials," Klein said. "She was in total shock. She ran to the car and everyone was jumping up and down and screaming. It was a lot of fun playing Santa."

Last December the woman's husband -- inspired by the Lexus ads -- arranged for Klein to deliver the new GS to their home after a big family Christmas Eve dinner -- and he made sure it was his wife who answered the door when Klein came knocking. Klein said she had three gift sales last December and expects even more this season.

Every year the company launches its "December to Remember" advertising campaign that features storylines of loved ones receiving the surprise of a lifetime -- a new Lexus in the driveway adorned with a large, festive red bow. The ads, which will run from Nov. 26, 2003 to Jan. 2, 2004, will tout special lease and finance rates on most '04 Lexus vehicles.

"The campaign resonates with people because it taps into everyone's holiday fantasy -- the vision of waking up in the morning and finding that dream car in your driveway," said Mike Wells, Lexus vice president of marketing. "We hope the ad campaign coupled with the great incentives will inspire people to give a loved one that special gift they can open up 365 days a year."

As in previous years, this season's television advertisements will feature fantasy surprise storylines, like the scene where a father opens a gift from his 5-year-old son -- a hand-made key chain of macaroni and feathers. The dad pulls the key chain out of the box and sees there is a Lexus key dangling at the end. The scene then cuts to the family in the driveway looking at his new GX luxury utility vehicle -- with the must-have bow on top.

How important is the bow? John Iacono, vice president, Lexus of Manhattan and Bay Ridge Lexus in Brooklyn, said during the holiday season, they display only white vehicles in the show room with red bows on top. "Then in the middle of the showroom we have the only red vehicle with a white bow on top," Iacono said. "The customers feel like all the cars are gift wrapped."

This year, Lexus headquarters in Torrance, Calif. has ordered 1,000 bows -- just like the ones in the commercials -- to provide to dealers for the holiday season. "We've ordered as many bows as the manufacturer has the capacity to produce," said Wells.

Chris Brunner, general manager at Park Place Lexus in Grapevine, Tex., said about 10 to 15 percent of their December sales are gift sales. In fact, he already has ordered 60 big red bows for showroom vehicles and for clients to put on their newly purchased vehicles to add that special surprise for their loved ones.

"The December to Remember ads are definitely the most talked about ads here at the dealership," Brunner said. "Clients are always looking for great ways to surprise someone during the holidays, and I truly believe those ads inspire people."

About Lexus

Lexus has become synonymous with luxury since its introduction in 1989. By offering some of the finest quality luxury vehicles and providing benchmark customer service, Lexus has become the top-selling luxury nameplate in the United States for three years in a row. Lexus and its 200 dealers have repeatedly achieved high honors for both the products they sell and the customer service they provide as rated by the independent research firm of J.D. Power and Associates.