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Lexus creates immersive video to highlight life on the road

Toyota Corp.?s Lexus is exploring a different kind of life on the road with an immersive video experience featuring cyclist Christian Vande Velde.

?Lexus Elevate? uses 360-degree video technology to follow Mr. Vande Velde on a cycling excursion, presenting the viewer with a virtual reality experience enhanced by visual and audio effects. By focusing on the journey itself and life on the road, Lexus is reminding consumers of its expertise and encouraging them to set off on travels of their own.

?Utilizing cutting-edge technology exemplifies our commitment to innovation,? said Brian Smith, vice president of marketing, Lexus, Torrance, CA. ?Our first venture into virtual reality was with the RC F Rift, a motion-controlled virtual driving simulator that launched last September.

?It was a successful project and since then, we?ve learned a lot about virtual reality and wanted to see how else we could use the technology to engage consumers outside of the traditional automotive encounter. ?Lexus Elevate? became that next project.?

Spinning wheels
Lexus used Samsung Gear VR and Samsung Galaxy S6 to create a video that would fully immerse the viewer in Mr. Vande Velde?s cycling experience. 

Advertising agency Team One and production studio UNIT9 assisted in the filming and presentation.

Lexus? video opens with an image of an open road. Mr. Vande Velde appears, mounting his bicycle and setting off on a ride.

The camera then switches to show Mr. Vande Velde?s point of view, as he speeds along a highway on the side of a steep cliff. The video continues from this perspective as if the viewer were cycling on the road as well.

In a voiceover, Mr. Vande Velde explains his lifelong love of cycling. He won the National Championship at age 18 and the World Cup at 21.

The video?s unique setting further emphasizes the importance of the journey. The road is elevated in the mountains, and a light fog blocks the distance from view, creating the impression that the road is the only thing that matters.

The perspective of a cyclist is very similar to that of a motorist as both see the road disappearing beneath them. While watching the video it is easy to forget what vehicle is being used, because the bicycle does not appear on camera.

At the video?s conclusion, a voiceover proclaims, ?Lexus, proudly supporting those who spend their lives on the road.? This message connects the concept of cycling with automobiles in the consumer?s mind.

The real deal
Lexus has previously focused its attention on other unique forms of transportation. The Toyota Corp.?s auto brand is showing its concept hoverboard in action with help from a professional skateboarder.

After teasing the project more than a month before, Lexus unveiled a social video that shows Ross McGouran gliding on the board in a specially constructed ?hoverpark,? performing tricks on ramps and railings. Waiting to reveal the completed vehicle allowed Lexus time to build interest, as consumers wondered how it would work outside of science fiction (see story).

The automaker has also been working to create unique experiences using virtual reality. 

Recently, Lexus gave consumers the chance to enjoy its fastest vehicles from the comfort of their homes with a virtual reality experience.

This new experience gives viewers the thrill of driving a Lexus RC F on the Ascari racetrack in Marbella, Spain. Creating this virtual reality experience allows Lexus to reach consumers around the world and form intimate connections with those who might not ordinarily have access to its products (see story).

Lexus hopes that the video will attract a younger market.

?This film is an example of using innovative technology to create unique content to engage a younger, active audience in ways that are uniquely Lexus,? Mr. Smith said. ?We?re committed to the sport of cycling and ?Lexus Elevate? gave us the opportunity to combine performance, technology and innovation into a mobile and on-site activation that our fans can enjoy.?

Final Take
Kay Sorin, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York