A new spot for Lexus says that the average person will own X-number of cars in their lifetime, etc., and then poses the question: “Which one will you remember?” That’s all fine, but what they show during the commercial is a little bit problematic. What’s wrong with it? Let’s take a look!
So, this spot shows a series of backdrops, one at a time (for example: the first backdrop shows a house, garage and driveway, with the outline of a car, but with a white blank space for where the car would be), with each one having an outline of a car shape on it. Then, the Lexus comes careening towards this backdrop, skidding and slamming on its brakes, and the car goes apparently out of control and smashes through the backdrop right in the shape of the car. They show the car crashing through the back of the backdrop, and pieces of lumber being shattered, etc., and we get to see the whole backdrop again with the hole smashed through it. Then they do the same thing again with a new backdrop, where the car skids and crashes through the car shape in that one, and then again and again a couple more times (!).
I think the idea is that this car is so dynamic, it’s “breaking out of the box” or something; or that you can’t fence it in, or keep it contained in a picture: whatever. That might seem like a good idea in theory, but from the way it is being shot and edited, it simply looks like the driver has lost control of the car and accidentally smashes through the scenery. Then, by doing it again and again, it makes it seem like they’re trying it again and again in an attempt to get it to work, but the car is just too unstable and unreliable in its handling and braking system to be able to do it properly. So it ends up looking like the car has crappy brakes that fail, that it handles badly, and that the driver loses control of the vehicle way too easily. Is that what they’re trying to tell us here: that the car is dangerous and hard to control? If so, then great job! If not, then oops!
I can’t find this ad up on the internet yet, but you’ll know it when you see it! See if it doesn’t have the same “yikes!” factor for you too, where you end up worrying about the handling capabilities of the car, and the safety of the driver in the ad! That’s what it made me think of, mostly. Oh, and also about how it was crazy to advertise a car as careening out of control and smashing into everything like this. But maybe the car really is dangerous and difficult to drive, and they’re just giving us fair warning about it by showing us, since they don’t want to have to come out and say it. I guess you never know.
There are lots and lots of car commercials where they show the cars they’re trying to sell us skidding all over the place and spinning all out of control and stuff. Maybe the people who made this ad thought it was ridiculous to always have cars skidding around all over the place and never hitting anything, so they thought they would make up for that oversight with this new Lexus ad. After all, in the real world, if you go skidding or spinning out in your car, you hit stuff, and showing cars always being able to get away with careening out of control and not hitting anything is extremely irresponsible because it might encourage others to try it themselves, causing lots and lots of damage to lives and property. That’s the only reason I can think of for why they might have made it like this, and it might end up being a positive thing somehow. Because if that’s not why they did it, then it just ends up looking like the car is a hazardous piece of crap that you will wreck into everything around you every time you try to drive it. Because after all, that’s what they are showing us repeatedly happening with their car in this commercial.
Squeal…Skid…Smash! (Repeat.)
It seems to me that this whole idea of the backdrop with the car outline and the car smashing through it could actually work; but that for it to work, they really ought to have the car come driving through from behind, rather than driving up from the front and skid into and smash through the backdrop that way. With the car bursting through from the back, it would indicate this idea of the car bursting forth from within the confines of everyday, or whatever they’re trying to say here. But with it bursting through by accelerating out, rather than skidding in, it would make it look like a positive thing: that is, to burst forth, as opposed to skid and smash into: see what I mean here? Then, after accelerating and bursting through the backdrop, it could skid 90 degrees and stop on a dime in front of the backdrop, and that would indicate that it handles well and has great brakes, in addition to having great acceleration and a forceful character.
I think that’s what they originally intended as the concept, but from the way it’s presented, it looks like the opposite of what people would want from a car (out of control, hazardous and destructive), rather than what might be attractive (forceful, yet nimble, controlled and maneuverable).
I wish I could find this ad to attach a link to it, but hopefully you’ll be able to see it on TV whether you like it or not.
