Dive Brief:

• Lexus is taking a multicultural approach to marketing its new TX three-row crossover SUV to engage what it calls the “new modern family,” according to press details shared with Marketing Dive. 
• The Toyota-owned luxury automaker is running eight broadcast spots, with batches of creative targeted at different demographics, including Black, Hispanic, Asian Indian and East Asian families. The campaign enlists multiple agency partners to connect with diverse consumers, guided by a motif of how every seat in the TX is the best seat.    
• Ads will appear across linear and streaming TV, audio, digital, programmatic, paid social and print channels, while Lexus has struck partnerships with the Billboard Music Awards, 100 Thieves and livestreamer Ntwrk. The strategy strongly echoes a recent campaign for the Toyota Grand Highlander, which the TX emulates. 

Dive Insight:

Lexus’ push behind its new 2024 TX crossover takes a page from a campaign that parent Toyota just rolled out in support of the Grand Highlander, an SUV model with a similar build and pitch around spaciousness. The automakers are attempting to blur the lines between mainstream and multicultural marketing, the latter a tactic that can sometimes be siloed off in large national campaigns. The automotive category has been criticized in recent years for a lack of investments in diverse media, with several companies pledging to step up their efforts. 

A trio of agency partners was enlisted to develop creative for the TX campaign, similar to how Toyota’s “Life’s Grander in the Grand Highlander” came together with help from multiple shops. Team One crafted commercials featuring a white family for Lexus, including a hero ad, “Battle Out There,” and three shorter spots profiling individual members of the unit. Walton Isaacson spearheaded “The Road Best Traveled,” following a Black family’s journey in the TX, along with a “Cast of Characters” ad aimed at a Hispanic audience. IW Group handled “VVIPs” and “Here,” which are targeted at East Asian and Asian Indian consumers, respectively. 

As with the Toyota Grand Highlander, the Lexus TX emphasizes the roominess afforded by its three-row design. While the Lexus ads are tailored to varied demographics, the theme threaded throughout the campaign is how every seat in the car is the best seat, meaning there is less bickering over who gets to sit where — a universal problem when traveling. Vinay Shahani, vice president of marketing at Lexus, described the vehicle’s launch as a “pivotal moment” for the brand. 

Lexus has tapped several partners to raise the profile of the offering, including 100 Thieves, a gaming lifestyle brand, and the livestreaming shopping platform Ntwrk. Along with conventional linear, connected TV and digital and programmatic ads, the automaker is running paid social placements on TikTok, Instagram, Meta and Pinterest. 

Other recent campaigns from Lexus have made diversity a priority. A “Never Lose Your Edge” platform from last fall highlighted trailblazers from the Hispanic, Black and LQBTQ+ communities, among others, with a message about fighting complacency as embodied in a spin on “The Wizard of Oz” and its Yellow Brick Road.