Do you remember this Lexus commercial from 1989?
I was troving through the net and found this tv commercial to introduce the first ever Lexus to North America. At the time, Americans who were in the market for a large luxury barge had very few choices to consider: the teutonic Mercedes S Class, BMW 7 Series... and not much else. The Audi A8 wasn't much of a player back then.
Lexus changed the American automotive landscape with the luxurious LS400 that made it's way into American hearts in 1989. Lexus proved that even a large sedan could be reliable, comfortable and more of a gentleman's choice than what the Germans had to offer.
So Lexus commissioned New York-based Saatchi & Saatchi, who came up with this commercial:
Do you remember this ad? I was still a teenager back in 1989 and remember this ad so clearly. As a kid, I thought to myself, "How on earth did they get the champagne flutes to stick together without falling into a million shards of glass?"Honestly, the naive kid in me thought there must be some camera trickery, that what was not shown behind the scenes was some ad man boffin who superglued the pyramid.
(How wrong I was... only years later when I owned my first Lexus did I realise, this was no gimmick)
David Wager, then-President of Saatchi & Saatchi - the agency commissioned by Lexus - said, "We're trying to make the car look like art." The way this ad burned into collective consciousness it's fair to say, result.
For those of you who are still somewhat sceptical about the authenticity of this commercial, the next video would probably lay to rest your doubts (oh ye of little faith :-) ).
In 2011, youtube blogger LexusVehicles decided to recreate the iconic champagne glass Lexus commercial with a 22 year old LS400 - to see if it was still up to the task. First, though, they pitched it against the current model LS460 (perhaps to ensure it carried the same DNA as its predecessor).
To be fair, you would expect that, after decades of refinement and pursuit of perfection, the LS460 should ace this champagne glass test. I wouldn't think for a second Lexus would allow this car to roll off its production plant unless it could discernibly offer a high product proposition compared to previous models.
But carry on in the video and you'll see how the 22-year old LS400 hasn't lost its engine refinement! It's 22 years old! Can you imagine a 22-year old Mercedes S Class or BMW 7 Series doing the same - hell no.
Kudos to LexusVehicles for showing the world that Lexus do not employ hyperbole in their marketing. That what you see, is what you get. And for dispelling the boyhood myth clouding in my head.
Those of you driving the first generation LS400s - share with me your experiences or how you're still enjoying your car.
Cheers guys.
All Lexus
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