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Lexus and Saatchi & Saatchi merge man and machine in Kokoro Wo Komete campaign

Youtube VideoToyota’s luxury brand Lexus has a tough battle on its hands in the prestige class, facing as it does the European goliaths of Audi, BMW and Mercedes. But it’s aiming to reinvigorate the Japanese brand’s challenger spirit with the launch of a classy new campaign out of Saatchi & Saatchi called ‘Kokoro Wo Komete’ or ‘Soul Meets Machine.’

The idea is based around the quintessentially Japanese marriage of old school and new school; of tradition and technology; of humans and machines, and it is firmly rooted in the philosophy of ‘Takumi’, or master craftsmen who imbue it with its own lifeforce and “make it just so”. Or, as the ad says: “Inspired by life, engineered with precision, crafted and refined by hand”.

Youtube Video

 

The moody new campaign, which, impressively, was also produced by Saatchi & Saatchi, really rams home the Japanese motifs in the mostly black and white TVCs (but mixes in a few of the obligatory action shots sourced from overseas markets as well). It launched via TV, online, OOH and print, and will be rolled out over the coming months, along with two key Lexus models, the GS and RX.

There’s a bunch of online-only content that gives a more in-depth look at the thinking behind the brand idea—and shows the importance of the human touch.

Youtube Video

Youtube Video

Youtube Video

So far this year, Lexus, which celebrated 21 years in the New Zealand market in 2011, is 19th on the list of new car sales, with a total of 163. In the luxury stakes, BMW is in 12th on 739, just ahead of Audi in 14th on 650 and Mercedes in 15th with 477.

Credits:

Agency : Saatchi & Saatchi

Production Company: Saatchi & Saatchi

Executive Creative Director: Antonio Navas

Director: Matt Campbell

Art Director: Matt Campbell

Copywriter: Matt Simpkins, Simon Pound, Anne Boothroyd

Post Production: Blockhead

Audio: Big Pop

DOP: Mark Pugh

Head of Content: Jane Oak

Producer: Loren Bradley

Group Account Director : Mark Cochrane

Senior Account Manager: Emma Guadagni

Head of Planning : Murray Streets

Clients: Neeraj Lala  – General Manager – Market, Product, Used Vehicles

Debbie Patullo – Manager – Lexus NZ

David Rhodes-Robinson – Marketing Manager

Gee Mason – Lexus Marketing

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