This spot shows a Lexus being driven in reverse through a multi-level public garage. It’s cute, but it makes a bit of a mistake, in my opinion. What’s that? Well, it’s their slogan: “It isn’t real performance unless it’s wielded with precision.” That gives the game away, I’m afraid. You see, it’s the stunt driver who is making this car do such wonderful things, it’s not that the car is so great. And a great stunt driver can do the same thing with any car! Remember that James Bond movie where Roger Moore drove a Citroën 2cv and made fools out of a bunch of Peugeots? Well, I used to drive the same kind of car (a 2cv), and it can do amazing things too, if you know what you’re doing. It’s not nearly as good as the Lexus, I’m sure, but like their slogan implies, it doesn’t make a damn bit of difference if the car is better if you aren’t a good driver. And that’s the problem with this slogan: it does nothing to sell the car, but rather, it basically says that if you’re not a great driver, then this car’s abilities are wasted on you. So then buy something else, and preferably from a car company that won’t belittle you like this slogan does.
Here’s the condescending car commercial (Actually, that’s not really fair: it’s the slogan that’s condescending, not this commercial. This ad is pretty good, and there’s an even better one that’s more recent that uses this same idea of driving in reverse through a public garage as an obstacle course.):
And here’s the ad I just said was even better at using the same idea (And they don’t repeat that same slogan either, which makes it better, in my opinion. Because with that slogan about it not being real performance unless it’s wielded with precision, it makes you think it’s the driver that’s responsible for the amazing handling; but without that slogan, it makes it seem like it’s the car. See what I mean? And they’re trying to sell a car, not a driver.):
