making attention to detail a defining brand difference
breaking out of the grey bar of doom
While German competitors like Audi, BMW and Mercedes flexed muscle through performance, precision, and prestige, Lexus sat in the “grey bar of doom” — most people didn’t know what Lexus stood for. Its core audience was ageing (70+), and younger drivers weren’t considering it. To grow, Lexus needed to rise above anonymity and attract a younger luxury mindset, without chasing trends and losing its integrity.
The Cultural Context
Accessibility has become a double-edged sword in the luxury market. While more individuals can enjoy premium products and services, this democratisation has, in some cases, diluted the very essence of luxury – the human touch. Personalisation felt performative. Experiences were scripted.
Customer however, are looking for something different. Traditional notions of exclusivity and status signalling are giving way to a desire for personalised experiences and genuine connection. Customers now seek brands that understand their individual needs and anticipate their desires.
The Strategy
Lexus have long been leading the charge, redefining luxury as a deeply personal and transformative journey. Their commitment to Making Luxury Personal underpins every aspect of the Lexus experience. It felt natural to position Lexus around how they made it happen: Attention to Detail.
For Lexus, attention to detail is not just a functional truth, but a philosophy. Informed by their Japanese roots it lived in Lexus’ DNA through:
Takumi craftsmanship — 60,000 hours of experience distilled into every line, texture and stitch.
Omotenashi — the Japanese art of anticipatory hospitality, where you’re treated not like a customer, but a guest.
In a world of mass-produced “premium,” an obsessive attention to detail is the Lexus difference. A way to define luxury not by what’s seen, but by what’s felt. Attention to detail permeates every facet of the the Lexus journey. It’s how they transform ordinary moments into amazing experiences.
The WORK
We codified this into a new brand world and a distinctive tone of voice reframing Lexus as a quiet disruptor — rooted in craft, designed for emotion, and powered by obsessive detail.
Embracing provenance has been a key factor guiding our decisions. The brand’s Japanese heritage is a powerful differentiator which we have leveraged to build equity. Not only does it add a layer of authentic sophistication, it speaks to Lexus’ stories of innovation, craftsmanship and customer service. The brand palette draws on colours, textures, forms and elements of nature celebrated in Japanese culture and design. Drawing on the human touch, encourages our imagery to feel warm, human, welcoming; rich and deep. It talks about the importance of not only human presence, but human stories.
The work that will follow (in development) tells Lexus’ story — not through slogans, but through sensory proof points: the politeness of a window close, the warmth of a welcome, the seamlessness of tech that puts people first. A positioning that gives Lexus permission to tap into customers’ passion points in culinary, art and design, tennis and extend into culture in exciting new ways.
Watch this space!
embracing the power of duality to launch the Lexus LBX
how a small car became a big deal
Facing stagnant growth – Lexus desperately needed to connect with a new generation. But, we had a relevance problem – Lexus was admired but not desired by younger audiences. In Europe, there was a growing desire for "more abundance in everyday life" amongst younger audiences, coupled with a demand for more compact and affordable SUVs.
Enter the LBX, Lexus's smallest and most accessible car, offering a glimmer of hope. But also a daunting challenge. How could a car designed for agility and accessibility also embody the brand’s legacy of luxury? How could a brand synonymous with high-gloss luxury resonate with a generation that valued casual style and personal expression? Additionally, small, upmarket, style-conscious cars were hardly a new idea—the Mini and Fiat 500 had already proven hugely successful. Could we carve out a distinct space for the LBX in this crowded market? Internally, the LBX sparked debate. Would a smaller, more affordable model dilute the brand's hard-earned prestige?
FINDING POETRY IN THE PRODUCT
We were talking to young Europeans, united by a mindset. They wanted the best of both worlds. Experiences and possessions. Style and substance. Individuality and connection. Nudged by brands that make them feel something and look the part. Crucially, they wanted a car that reflected this duality – "a level of quality that enriches their lives while providing a casual and compact ride.”
For an audience who wanted the best of both worlds. The LBX couldn’t be reduced to one thing - because neither could they. The breakthrough came when we embraced the duality the LBX embodied. Built on Lexus’ Yet philosophy* and inspired by the layered Japanese dessert, Kagami Mochi – the LBX wasn't just small or luxurious, casual or refined; it was both.
And so, our strategy was all about holding opposites together—style and substance, features and feeling—turning emotional nuance into cultural expression.
MAKING THE EVERYDAY EXTRAORDINARY
Our strategy sparked a long-running campaign that danced between tradition and disruption, film and social, function and fantasy, celebrating the beautiful contradictions that define modern life. Leading to an idea that transcended product features and tapped into a deeper cultural desire: to elevate the everyday.
We launched with a film that moved through a surreal cityscape — where grey buildings morphed into sculptural fantasies and the LBX glided through it all like a dream.
Style met stillness. Texture met light. Emotion met elegance. And then we went well beyond traditional car advertising into culture:
Artworld collaborators like Andreas Wannerstedt and Charlotte Taylor reimagined the car through their creative lens.
Experiential interventions in Milan, Paris, Madrid and London transformed everyday places — car washes, bakeries, parking lots — into immersive luxury moments.
Virtual OOH glitched the line between real and imagined — turning bus stops into paradises and crossings into cosmic portals.
Creators played with the car’s details, turning them into 3D objects of design, beauty, and weirdness.
The result? The LBX became Lexus's #1 volume contributor in Europe – attracting nearly 7 in 10 buyers new to Lexus – and 74% of them even went on to recommend us forward.