Lexus using dubstep on TV commercials. Why?

[upstate29651]

No one in their late teens to mid-20's is out buying a Lexus (no one in this demo has a job...thanks Barry!). So why is Lexus using music that appeals solely to this age group to sell cars? It doesn't appear to make much sense.

G

 

[nomadcowatbk]

No one in their late teens to mid-20's is out buying a Lexus (no one in this demo has a job...thanks Barry!). So why is Lexus using music that appeals solely to this age group to sell cars? It doesn't appear to make much sense.

G

because they might by a Lexus in 30 years after their brand preferences are set?

 

[landtuna]

I get a real laugh out of Lexus commercials. They always show a 30-something guy and his slightly younger wife with 8-9 year old kids in the back seat and pulling in or out of an elegant house in an equally elegant neighborhood.

You know damn well such a family cannot afford a Lexus.

It's like the casino ads here always showing smiling 20-somethings in very brief dresses living it up at the slot machines. When you get to the casino you don't see many people under 50, all of them smoking and nobody dressed as in the commercial. Most are not smiling either.

Even Cadillac ads aren't that stupid! (It's only stupid to actually buy one.)

 

[Darth_vader]

Re: Lexus are using "dubstep" on TV commercials. Why?

What's "dubstep"? Another ripoff of hip-hop?

 

[easttxtv]

Re: Lexus are using "dubstep" on TV commercials. Why?

What's "dubstep"? Another ripoff of hip-hop?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubstep has playable samples of dubstep beats and music. It has evolved from electronic dance music in recent years and has a mostly syncopated/clipped beat with an occasional clap or snap sound.

 

[LKellerIII]

No one in their late teens to mid-20's is out buying a Lexus (no one in this demo has a job...thanks Barry!). So why is Lexus using music that appeals solely to this age group to sell cars? It doesn't appear to make much sense.

G

Not true. Well, teens probably aren't buying Lexuses (Lexi?), but people in their 20s are. The Lexus IS 350 is compact, fast, and sporty. I see a lot of young men and women driving them. I believe it's the cheapest Lexus, too - you can buy one for under $40K, so if you're young, single, and have a decent job, you can afford the payments.

 

[justpassingthough]

Dubstep is fairly ubiqutuous in commercials right now, too. Lexus is trying to remake their brand after they and parent company Toyota went through the last decade with a staid and conservative image that most likely resulted in stagnation of their brand and their market share. Have you noticed the new Lexus' are designed to be much more sporty? Using music thats "in" right now, is just another way to say that we are current.

 

[upstate29651]

Using music thats "in" right now, is just another way to say that we are current.

But if most people haven't heard it (or of it...dubstep, that is), will the strategy work?

G

 

[benwolf]

I really don't think such music is "solely for teens to mid-20's." I'm 57 and still keep current on music...we don't all sit around and listen to the same oldies over and over. I'm familiar with dubstep and most everybody I work with is too.

 

[landtuna]

Not true. Well, teens probably aren't buying Lexuses (Lexi?), but people in their 20s are. The Lexus IS 350 is compact, fast, and sporty. I see a lot of young men and women driving them. I believe it's the cheapest Lexus, too - you can buy one for under $40K, so if you're young, single, and have a decent job, you can afford the payments.

I understand the culture of the Bay Area is quite a bit different than the dusty environs of the Southwest (and so are the respective pay scales) but if I troll the upscale watering holes of Snottsdale I see very few Lexi. The vast majority are German.

These past few years haven't been generous to the Yuppies.

I did know one guy several years ago who drove a Lexus but he was several years over 30. He didn't feel very good when I told him I had almost exactly the same car (Toyota Avalon) except it cost about $10K less.

 

[crainbebo]

We got Bentley's and Porsche's in the upscale parts of Bellevue! Even some Lotus and Ferraris too!

-crainbebo

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Lexus is running these ads in response to Audi's marketing that tries to label other luxury cars as un-hip - and sales numbers show that Audi has been successful at getting people to switch from Mercedes, Lexus, and other luxury brands.

 

[landtuna]

Lexus is running these ads in response to Audi's marketing that tries to label other luxury cars as un-hip - and sales numbers show that Audi has been successful at getting people to switch from Mercedes, Lexus, and other luxury brands.

The "hipness" of an auto brand is just possibly the most useless and worst measure of how to value a purchase - even if you could quantify it. The days when the brand of car you drive determines your self-worth are long gone. It does seem certain people try to fill out their self-worth suits with brand names but the most that accomplishes is telling others how frivolous and insecure you are.

While there are good reasons for buying certain expensive and unique cars trying to impress others is not one of them.

 

[dhett]

I understand the culture of the Bay Area is quite a bit different than the dusty environs of the Southwest (and so are the respective pay scales) but if I troll the upscale watering holes of Snottsdale I see very few Lexi. The vast majority are German.

I still see a lot of Lexi in All-white-tukee, but status seems to have moved back to the Germans. Audi has had a pretty successful ad campaign recently, IMO.

Lexus is running these ads in response to Audi's marketing that tries to label other luxury cars as un-hip - and sales numbers show that Audi has been successful at getting people to switch from Mercedes, Lexus, and other luxury brands.

The "hipness" of an auto brand is just possibly the most useless and worst measure of how to value a purchase - even if you could quantify it.

Agreed. Actually, the "hipness" of anything is a worthless measure of worth. (Says the guy driving the '06 Chevy Impala V6.)

The days when the brand of car you drive determines your self-worth are long gone.

I wish that were so, but I'm afraid those days are still with us. Only now it's the hybrid cars instead of the luxury cars - especially the Prius.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Lexus is trying to remake their brand after they and parent company Toyota went through the last decade with a staid and conservative image that most likely resulted in stagnation of their brand and their market share.

That worked well for Oldsmobile

 

[nomadcowatbk]

The demographic they're after cares more about the latest Iphone than the latest car. They see cars are just appliances like a washing maching.

 

[LKellerIII]

The demographic they're after cares more about the latest Iphone than the latest car. They see cars are just appliances like a washing maching.

I don't think so - among a certain type of young or middle aged person, the car they choose still represents a certain status. If they did consider cars just "appliances," they would save their money and buy Toyota Camry instead of a Lexus ES350 (they're basically the same car), or a Honda Accord instead of an Acura TSX (again - same basic car). In Europe, the Honda Accord uses the Acura TSX body.

The point is - these luxury brands impart a certain kind of status - not unlike Cadillac and Lincoln did in the 1960s.

I understand the culture of the Bay Area is quite a bit different than the dusty environs of the Southwest (and so are the respective pay scales) but if I troll the upscale watering holes of Snottsdale I see very few Lexi. The vast majority are German.

I still see a lot of Lexi in All-white-tukee, but status seems to have moved back to the Germans. Audi has had a pretty successful ad campaign recently, IMO.

[/quote]

Oh yes - I agree. Audi is a HUGE seller in the SF Bay Area- maybe more popular than Lexi; and rivaling BMW now. When I was in Europe this summer, I noticed less BMWs and Audis than I do in America...though I didn't visit Germany.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

The "hipness" of an auto brand is just possibly the most useless and worst measure of how to value a purchase - even if you could quantify it. The days when the brand of car you drive determines your self-worth are long gone. It does seem certain people try to fill out their self-worth suits with brand names but the most that accomplishes is telling others how frivolous and insecure you are.

While there are good reasons for buying certain expensive and unique cars trying to impress others is not one of them.

Car buying is hard. Is a 2013 Audi going to be more reliable than a 2013 Lexus? More fun to drive? Better radio? Measuring hipness is easy by comparison because it is a personal judgment - and advertisers can influence personal judgments.

 

[landtuna]

I wish that were so, but I'm afraid those days are still with us. Only now it's the hybrid cars instead of the luxury cars - especially the Prius.

I dunno...... In my relatively affluent neighborhood there is only one hybrid can I can find and that is my next door neighbor who is an engineer (and excellent mechanic). He talked up the Volt for many years before it became a reality and bought one a few months ago expressly as a commuter car. He doesn't seem to attach any significance to it other than it's engineering and fuel mileage.

Disclaimer: Although it drives very nicely and has lots of techno gadgets I would never buy one myself.

Perhaps in oh-so trendy California it matters that you drive a Prius but it doesn't seem to matter here in get-down-and-dirty Arizona. This from a guy who drives a green '99 Dodge Dakota pickup (a hand-me-down from my son to boot).

 

[landtuna]

The point is - these luxury brands impart a certain kind of status - not unlike Cadillac and Lincoln did in the 1960s.

I wish I could find the article again but years ago one of the car mags (Car & Driver?) printed a story about the evolution of cars and how they were marketed. IIRC it went something like:

Chevies & Fords were common cars for the everyday working stiffs and farmers.
Buicks were for doctors.
Accountants and Bankers bought Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs (remember, this was in the 30's and 40's).
CEO's and "rich people" bought Caddies and Lincolns.
Movie stars bought Duesenburgs and Packards.
Teachers bought Studebakers.

That all seemed to change after WWII and especially during the 50's when the "upscale" models were essentially the base brand with a few added luxuries.