Lexus, like any other brand, has materialistic features that drivers think about when it’s time to upgrade their vehicle: leather seats, Sirius XM radio, GPS and at least three power adaptors. The feature they don’t see is the whole purpose of what really makes a car stand out: the motion.
Lexus’ 2015 campaign titled “Amazing in Motion” describes all the elements it takes to set the motion of motor vehicles in a smooth, consistent form. Four campaign videos have been released that categorize each motion form from beginning to end: strobe, swarm, steps and slide. Each video demonstrates a certain style of motion based on a chosen figure. The process of producing the campaign content is shown in separate videos portraying how the motion is created.
The latest addition to the series, “Slide,” introduces professional skateboarder Ross McGouran cruising on his board down a skate park until he suddenly steps off. Ten feet in front of him floats the world’s first hoverboard, created by Lexus. Produced by light and natural bamboo (materials used in making Lexus models), permanent magnetics and liquid nitrogen cooled superconductors, this has been generated as perhaps one of the greatest marketing campaigns in the world.
The hype the campaign is receiving in social media surrounds only the fact that a hoverboard actually exists in the world now. While it’s amazing that more of these gadgets are being created, the hoverboard is not a product that is set to be on the market anytime soon. So, what is the overall purpose of this clip?
As part of the Lexus campaign, Lexus Chief Engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi stated that “there is no such thing as impossible. It’s just a matter of figuring out how.” By creating the first ever hoverboard, “Slide” shows that it’s not impossible to defy gravity and perhaps incorporate that into a new generation of hovering cars. The motion of the hoverboard is set to have a smooth finish with luxury added. Lexus is a luxury car brand that produces the finest motion when one gets behind the wheel, from the gas pedal to the brakes to every twist and turn throughout the driver’s trip. The hoverboard just adds to the projection of what can be created to start a large marketing trend.
“Slide” also cannot follow suit with the other three styles of motion. “Strobe” is introduced with hundreds of actors in light-illuminated suits that bring movement to life in, literally, every step of the way. The theory behind the launching of this clip was to “combine imagination, engineering and human endeavor.” Every model and change that is made to a Lexus vehicle comes from an idea. The power of creativity enforces work between humans until a result appears. “Strobe” demonstrates the importance of imagining the idea of change and the final agreement of how the process will be done.
“Swarm” goes into the mathematical part of constructing the work with Lexus models. In this part of the series, the clip focuses on a drone-like motion sensor that flies through a museum that is closed for the night. The scene shows a mutation of more sensors that travel through the museum, moving left and right at all angles until the colony expands outside the museum and into the city. Creators behind “Swarm” are said to have used algorithms, 3-D printing, movement and personality to center their focus. This is where the motion gets tricky because every twist and turn a Lexus vehicle makes must perform at its best. The drones move in an orderly fashion with tight but flowing movements as they circle around museum displays and around large buildings in the city. A Lexus must achieve that same smoothness to where it can like the drone, but with gravity.
“Steps” is the actual making, finishing and seeing the motion in action. Two robot-like puppets are seen in this clip, as one explores all the different parts of a busy city until it comes to meet and unite with a female version of itself. The union resembles the moment the wheels of a Lexus touch the ground and speed off into motion. All the sketches and sculpting the skeleton of the puppets were soon produced by 3-D printing and brought to life by careful thought of the materials to use and the people to put it all together. With a Lexus, engineers know when the work is complete after seeing it take off in full throttle.
“Slide” and the other “Amazing in Motion” clips hide away the wanting of drivers to purchase the Lexus brand by digging into what’s really put into the overall motion of the car. While it’s cool to see the first friction-less skateboard ever created, the real creativity is put into marketing one of the most luxury cars in the world.