04 Lexus
"The relentless pursuit of the previously un-imagined."
My big break came on Lexus. What a break it was. While at Team One, I worked on every model in every media.
GS Sedan
Lexus was famous for dry product demos. Over time, the brand had become cold and impersonal.
We were asked to warm things up.
In broadcast, we positioned the GS as so thrilling you might treat it like your mistress.
In print, we captured the raw emotions around driving and then trademarked them.
The result? The GS became the number one selling model in the category. TV was recognized at Cannes and D&AD. Print honored as a One Show Finalist and featured in Communication Arts.
SC Sport Coupe
The brief for the Lexus SC Coupe was one word: Seductive.
Our solution was equally singular—use the French language as shorthand for "sexy."
How?
Create quirky, french-speaking spots. Then run them on U.S. television with no subtitles. No explanation. Just random French spots with a Lexus.
The response?
Viewers were stopped in their tracks. People swarmed the dealers asking about "that sexy French car.” And the car sold out in less than a month.
Oh, and the spots were the first commercials in U.S. television history to run in a foreign language.
The print campaign framed the car as the ultimate object of desire, lampooning the lengths one might go to have it.
Lexus wanted to take on BMW.
Specifically, the 3 Series. This was no small undertaking. Lexus vehicles lacked the performance-minded design driving the category. Until the IS.
The client had one demand: "Never cut away from the car."
IS Launch
Our solution? One shot spots. Single take. Locked off. No edits. Just one, beautifully long gaze at the sedan's distinctive design. (Plus a few not-too-subtle jabs at the car category.)