Lexus Drives 'Web Therapy,' Engages Potential Buyers

L/Studio-Web Therapy starring Lisa Kudrow Lexus is launching season two of "Web Therapy," a short-form video series on Lexus' LStudio.com, a broadband channel begun last September with an array of HD video entertainment, films and information. It's also a site where one has to look hard to find Lexus branding and products.

 

The "Web Therapy," series, which stars a stable of "Friends" alums, is about a therapist --- loosely defined -- whose degree is in business administration and whose entire philosophy is that no therapy session should ever exceed three minutes. That, fortuitously, is about the length of each vignette. Starring Lisa Kudrow as the pseudo-therapist, and well-known actors such as Bob Balaban, Victor Garber, Courteney Cox and Alan Cumming as her clients, the show is a session-by-session dissection of Kudrow and clients, who are harried, disparaged and demeaned by Kudrow's character, Fiona Wallace.

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Robin Pisz, national interactive marketing manager for Lexus, says the "Web Therapy" actors don't get scripts, only outlines, and they basically improvise each show.

The first season comprised 15 Webisodes, which are available for viewing on the site. In the second season, Wallace returns to face the dissolution of her marriage and two potential criminal investigations. Kudrow won a Webby Special Achievement Award for her performance.

Other LStudio content includes Amy B. Harris' "Puppy Love," "Films on L," a collection of short films from around the world, and content on art, design, music and modern life. Also new is "Films on L," a section of the LStudio site where up-and-coming artists can screen new films.

Starting this week, all LStudio content is available on YouTube and Hulu. The company says season two of "Web Therapy" will also be available for download on iTunes starting June 29. Other new features include content-sharing capability through Facebook and Twitter. Pisz says Lexus chose to syndicate LStudio content on Hulu, iTunes and YouTube to increase awareness, buzz and incremental revenue through advertising.

Pisz says the purpose is not to use entertainment to drive purchase funnel activity, at least not overtly. "We wanted to reach an audience that may not be considering Lexus; we a wanted to engage them in areas where they are not in shopping mode," she says.

She adds that product placement is subtle. "Our goal is not to put ads on here, but to engage and to entertain and get the association of Lexus with innovation." There is a link to LStudio on the lexus.com site; Lexus is promoting the site largely through PR efforts and its custom lifestyle magazine sent to 800,000 owners nationwide. "There are dealers who are sending out email newsletters to their customers; we are and we help them with content."

Intelligent Life Productions and Lexus' AOR Team One Advertising produced the content for the site.

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