• by Tanya Gazdik , November 20, 2023

Lexus is tapping Las Vegas’ new entertainment venue, Sphere, to bring to life a new digital installation featuring the all-new 2024 Lexus GX.

A 90-second installation will appear today across the Sphere's 580,000-square-foot LED exterior. Creative shows a snow-covered globe cracking open to reveal a Lexus GX adorned with the brand’s signature big red bow. Las Vegas visitors can view the installation through Nov. 26. 

The automaker also is launching two all-new broadcast spots for its 2023 “December to Remember” holiday campaign. The brand’s popular 2022 commercial, “Time Machine” will also make a return. All three spots are from Team One. 

Creative highlights thoughtful surprises and the magic of the season, says Vinay Shahani, Lexus vice president of marketing.

“There's always going to be ‘December to Remember,’” Shahani says. “I mean, it's the most iconic sales event that I've ever seen in the history of sales events. We've stuck with it.”

Lexus has also partnered with TikTok content creator, cinematographer, and VFX and miniature artist, Sebastian Jern (@sebastianjern). to create an intricate miniature winter landscape featuring a Lexus RX topped with the automaker’s big red bow. 

“We've got some really cool ways to tell the story in a differentiated way relative to what we've said in the past, as well as some really cool media channels,” Shahani tells Marketing Daily. 

Later this month, Lexus also returns as the title sponsor of the eSports awards, he says. 

The luxury brand is in a good place in terms of having enough production to satisfy consumer demands.

“I think we've gotten to a much better spot from a days’ supply perspective,” Shahani says. “We're going to see a huge year-over-year increase in sales volume for Lexus this year, predominantly because last year we were in the thick of the production constraints, which have loosened quite a bit because of the hard work of our logistics team and our manufacturing organization. They've really stepped up their ability to deliver the product.” 

In “Sled Dogs,” audiences are introduced to the all-new 2024 Lexus GX as it travels down a snow-covered road. A Siberian Husky secured in the second row stares ahead, seemingly barking orders to the woman driver. She navigates the GX to a secluded offroad area to find the dog’s owner and four-legged friends working on their broken sled. Grateful to be reunited, they all drive away in the GX. 

“Overnight Lexus” opens in a boy’s bedroom as his father reads him a familiar tale about magic beans that grow overnight. Upon seeing his son is asleep, the dad turns off the light and exits the room.  As the door closes, the boy sneaks out to the family’s front yard to pack a toy Lexus under the snow in hopes the story is true. The next morning, the boy wakes to find a 2024 Lexus TX wrapped in a giant red bow.

All three broadcast spots will air on cable, prime-time, late-night and sports programming through Jan. 2. 

Finally, Lexus continues to be a partner of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and will donate $150,000 this holiday season to support the organization's work in the community. 

Lexus did not reveal any new vehicles at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show this year so Shahani did not attend, but he says he still thinks shows are important. 

“I will continue to be an advocate for auto shows as long as I'm the head of marketing for any brand,” Shahani said via a phone interview. "I do think that what constitutes an auto show is evolving in front of us, and I think the best example I can give you is, five years ago I would struggle to have called Pebble Beach Concours a car show. It is absolutely a car show today. 

“If you're luxury, you've got to be there to a large extent -- and you've got to be ready to show your product, speak to what your brand stands for, and have something even more engaging with some sort of activation where you can show special access to a designer, to a concept vehicle, or to a unique experience.”