• by Tanya Gazdik , November 2, 2017

If Lexus is putting a red bow on its vehicles, it must be almost time for the holidays.

The automaker is bringing back its annual “December to Remember” marketing campaign for an 18th year. The December Sales Event offers incentives through Jan. 2.

Created by Los Angeles-based Team One, Publicis Groupe’s luxury and premium agency, three TV spots feature the iconic red bow, the classic “December to Remember” jingle and a voiceover reminding everyone that, “nothing brings out your inner child like the holidays.” 

The spots show happy children admiring their shiny new Lexus, each with a different take. One features a shocked little boy as he dances with excitement, the second showcases a young girl meeting her new best friend for the first time and the third shows a boy dancing and jumping for joy in celebration. In each storyline, the sound of the key fob cuts to reveal that the child is actually an adult reveling in childlike excitement. 

The first spot, “Whispers,” opens on a girl in a red coat and beret as her jaw, and the snowball she’s holding, drops to the ground as she discovers the Lexus GX in her driveway. She runs to the LUV, whispering how much she loves the car and that they’ll be best friends and travel everywhere together. The lively spot cuts to a young woman whose husband asks if she realizes the car is both of theirs. She pauses, tells the car not to listen to him and smiles.

The second spot, “Dancer,” starts with a boy holding a snow shovel — until he sees the Lexus IS. He immediately drops the shovel and examines the performance sedan in his garage with animated facial expressions and peppy dance moves. As he slides to his knees with a flourish, the key fob clicks and he exclaims it’s exactly what he asked for as his wife and daughter look in.

The third spot, “Stunned,” shows a young boy questioning how a Lexus RX could possibly be for him. “Is this for me? For real?” He breaks out his dance moves as he checks out the exterior and stands on his tiptoes to examine the beautifully designed interior. When the key fob clicks, we see he’s an adult; he breaks out of his reverie to respond with a cheer when his wife asks if he’s happy with the Lexus.

The broadcast spots broke Nov. 1 and are airing on network and cable television, sports networks and more. “Dancer” has also been created for the Hispanic market, and a translation of “Whispers” will be created for the Asian-American market, providing further reach. 

Print will feature product-focused imagery and the reminder to rediscover the feeling of the holidays with the sales event. The digital campaign will incorporate the same look and feel with banner ads that will run on popular automotive and high-traffic lifestyle and sports websites. 

Out-of-home extensions will include placements in Capital One Arena and Times Square, and radio will run on national and local levels. The campaign also features seven weeks of multicultural media presence across 16 key markets, including broadcast, radio, print and digital executions.