Lexus Focuses on Safety in New National Ad Campaign and Web Site
17 November 1999
Lexus Focuses on Safety in New National Ad Campaign and Web SiteTeam 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.