• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, March 20, 2007

Maybe now there's a reason why Lexus marketer Ann Bybee pulled back from her high-profile role--pushing for the eBay-enabled online buying and selling system for TV time: She's gone Hollywood.

Only days after fellow marketers joined what would become a controversial presentation backing the system at an industry conference, Bybee could be found standing next to Donald Trump on the March 4 episode of "The Apprentice." The corporate manager overseeing Lexus advertising joined a colleague in posing the weekly challenge to the would-be masters of the universe: Create some sort of event to tout the new premium LS 460.

Back in August, when plans for the eBay Media Marketplace were unveiled, Bybee was a vocal member of the task force, saying in the official announcement: "We are in a rapidly evolving, increasingly complex media environment with a myriad of content choices and distribution channels. To be effective in the future, our processes must embrace the advancements in technology and the benefits of our digital world."

Since then, she has apparently decided to let other buy-siders try to convince cable sales executives to "embrace" the Marketplace and start selling spots.

As to her point about finding new marketing tactics in the "increasingly complex" world, the effectiveness of the Lexus integration on the ratings-challenged "Apprentice" seems questionable--perhaps as much as whether the Marketplace will ever take off.

There is probably no reason to add to the continuous stream of "Apprentice" criticism on the grounds that each episode has become a virtual infomercial for a marketer--a paradigm of over-commercialization as a product becomes wallpaper.

But that happened again March 4. The Lexus brand was the subject of billboards, signage, testimonials and euphoria--not to mention multitudinous shots of the LS 460 from close-, far- and mid-range, from inside and out, and in action or sitting pretty. For a marketer like Lexus--part of Toyota, a company that prides itself on finding newfangled consumer touchpoints--going with the tried-and-true "Apprentice" integration is hardly cutting-edge.

It's also unnecessary to poke fun again at Trump's willingness to shill for products he likely knows nothing about. There's probably a better chance of Trump's Atlantic City casinos making money than him eating at Arby's or picking up a soda at 7-Eleven.

Or, in the March 4 episode, just after Bybee's colleague mentioned the LS 460, Trump chimed in: "Great car." He didn't exactly sound like he believed it. After all, it's no limo--but at least a Lexus has a better chance of intersecting with him than a Bacon Beef 'n Cheddar. But beyond those negatives, the Lexus integration is also dubious for not fitting with the brand's tagline: "The Pursuit of Perfection." Taken literally, it might make some sense. The contestants are supposedly striving to display terrific business skills. But the tagline isn't about looking for perfection--it's all about positioning the high-end cars as already there.

So, why link that with a bunch of people who might "straight-A an MBA" but probably couldn't move a car off the lot? Moreover, the "Apprentice" is produced in such a way as to repeatedly show the contestants in a less-than-perfect light, often making decisions that seem ludicrous--far from perfection.

Besides "The Apprentice," it wasn't a great week for Lexus on the branded entertainment front. A day after the Trump-fronted show, another member of the super-rich was linked with the brand. On the March 5 episode of MTV's "My Super Sweet Sixteen," where young women receive jaw-droppingly extravagant gifts and a knockout party, "Nikki" got a new Lexus--with a massive red bow on top.

Lexus has created a powerful franchise with its annual "December to Remember" campaign, built around one spouse giving the other a car for the holidays--with a massive red bow on top. That campaign is built around families and a spouse going all out--partly financially--to make the occasion unforgettable. While the MTV show certainly looks for the unforgettable occasion with the parties it shows, its focus is usually on spoiled wealthy girls--a big contrast to the Lexus holiday calling card.

While MTV says auto marketers have no involvement with the series and no say in how their cars are portrayed--in contrast to the paid freight for "The Apprentice"--the show hardly advances an image of making a financial sacrifice for a family to potentially get the car of their dreams. In fact, with her new Lexus, Nikki says: "This makes me feel 16." Surely, because it handles so well and will help with the DMV road test? With that one, marketers on the Toyota-owned brand probably weren't expressing the old tagline: "Oh, what a feeling!"