2010 Lexus ES Ad Auto

2010 Lexus ES Ad

Auto marketing has changing drastically in the last four years as the economy has become more uncertain and many consumers are holding back on major purchases. Where auto companies including Lexus would concentrate purely on prestige and status to the exception of any other attribute, there continues to be a shift towards reliability, quality and the lifetime value of a car in car companies' messaging. Lexus and comparable car companies are doing this to sell used models that have come in off lease as many customers are not renewing their contracts and downsizing their car selections to save money. As a result, auto makers are now concentrating on reliability and quality of their vehicle, selling and service programs that underscore lifetime value of their vehicles above all else. Those dealers at the mid-range and higher-end segment of the auto market are finding warranties are very effective as a marketing strategy, leading to sales happening in a very tough auto sales market (Harris, 2009). With these concepts and thoughts in mind, the following ad from a Scottsdale, Arizona Lexus dealership with ran in August, 2010 in the Scottsdale magazine is critiqued.

Selling Value over Prestige

What is immediately noticeable about the advertisement shown in Figure A, Lexus Advertisement from Scottsdale, Arizona dealer is the generous use of white space and the framing of the ES300 in the center of the shot. Backlit at night, with glimmering corporate offices across a bay, the vehicle sits on black cobblestone. The composition of the shot is meant to connote calm assurance and confidence in the middle of the city. It is a very effective juxtaposition of images to show the sleek, strong, well-lit lines of the car against the darkness of the night and the motion in the background. The brushed metal background of the advertisement is also meant to connote strength and reliability as well. Even the selection of the font, which is a variation of Times new Roman, also sits against brushed metal backgrounds as well. In short the entire visual composition of the ad is meant to communicate clarity, focus and strength from the use of brushed metal and the immaculate used E300 in the middle of the shot. The entire visual image communicates a calm stability and industrial strength to the vehicle, with the brushed metal being the accentuating key touch to the entire ad.

The copy of the ad continues to project calm confidence and implied trust a customer can have in the ES 300, even though it is used. The headline has such a high level of confidence; it nearly comes across as bragging. The irony of an ES 300 needing a warranty program is meant to further convince consumers that there is nothing to worry about when they purchase this car from the resale department of the Scottsdale dealer. The copy continues with a powerful use of key statistics and figures about how the Lexus Certified Pre-Owned Program delivers every Lexus with a 3-year, 100,000 total vehicle warranty and customer care package including 24-hour roadside assistance. The copy continues with the point that every Lexus is qualified through a rigorous 128-point inspection as well. The copy concludes with the dealership making the point that their dealership is the largest in Arizona for Pre-Owned Lexus autos in Arizona. All of these points in the copy are interwoven to create a story of trust that a prospective customer can believe and rely on to rationalize their decision.

Analysis and Critique