Team One Launches Annual ‘December to Remember’ Push for Lexus

Team One has launched the annual “December to Remember” holiday sales event for Lexus with a new integrated campaign built around three broadcast spots.

In each of the 30-second spots parents present a different explanation for how exactly Santa manages to deliver a luxury sedan. The parents in “Christmas Train” explain how an iconic holiday train made its way to their driveway, where elves helped unload it right to the driveway — complete with Lexus’ signature red bow. In “Magic Box,” the car magically self-assembles from a small box Santa places in the driveway, while in “Teleporter” it is beamed in directly from the North Pole.

The broadcast spots begin airing today on network and cable television, with “Christmas Train” also being translated for Hispanic and Asian-American markets. Additionally, the campaign is supported by print and OOH executions, as well as a digital partnership with The Weather Channel which will “provide targeted December Sales Event ads in real time based on local weather conditions.”

“The holidays are a time of year when people indulge their imaginations and share stories filled with magic and wonder,” said Brian Smith, Lexus vice president of marketing. “This year’s holiday campaign celebrates the tradition of storytelling and reminds us that children aren’t the only ones who get to have fun this time of year.” (more…)

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Team One, Lexus Launch ‘It Got Better’ with Jane Lynch

Team One and Lexus have launched a new series on Lexus’ broadband channel L/Studio, entitled “It Got Better.”

“It Got Better” is a six-episode docuseries telling “the inspiring personal stories of a diverse group of LGBT actors, athletes and musicians including Jason Collins, Jane Lynch, Tim Gunn, Tegan & Sara, George Takei and Laverne Cox.” A collaboration between Team One, executive producers Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky, and the It Gets Better Project (executive producers Dan Savage and Brian Pines), the docuseries just launched with its first episode, featuring Jane Lynch, star of Glee and, more importantly, Party Down. Lynch tells her story of growing up identifying more with boys, discovering her sexuality and treating it as something she was afraid her peers would discover, to finally embracing and accepting it and finding a supporting community. It makes for compelling viewing, well worth the time if you have six minutes or so to spare (yes, this runs a bit long), and a promising start to the “It Got Better” series, which has the potential to do a lot of good for struggling teens. We look forward to upcoming installments (especially from George Takei).

Credits and video after the jump. continued…

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Team One Posits Lexus F As ‘Temptation’

Team One runs through a list sins encouraged by the Lexus F performance line in their new spot, “Temptation.”

According to the 60-second spot, the Lexus F, “Provokes lust, unleashes wrath, incites envy, and elicits pride.” Absent are two of my personal favorites, sloth and gluttony, which Team One decided (understandably) don’t really do much to sell luxury performance vehicles. Greed is skipped over because they’re trying to get people to shell out a lot of money for a car here.

The spot, slickly produced by RSA, does a better job of tying the vehicle to certain sins than others. Lust is embodied by a couple making out in the rain, after which the Lexus F happens to exit a garage, not doing much to show how it “provokes lust.” Oh wait, it’s because the guy stops making out for a second to check out the Lexus F. Ugh. The rest of the sins are dealt with a bit better, with “unleashes wrath” tied not to actual anger but the car’s power, and envy and pride dealt with in more obvious ways. Perhaps most importantly, “Temptation” makes the Lexus F look good, even if its concluding line, “Temptation comes in many heart-pounding forms, but only one letter” is a bit weak. Stick around for credits after the jump. continued…

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Team One Declassifies More of ‘The Bureau: XCOM Declassified’

In April, we covered the first piece of ambiguous viral ad content for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, a 2K Games and 2K Marin video game. We’re back to report another promo, titled “Orbit & The Asteroid,” and produced by Team One. This 90-second spot isn’t any less ambiguous than the first ad, most of it about a 1960s era creepy clown television show and the young boy who watches it. According to the creators, there are a number of easter eggs that contain clues for the future of the video game series. The game won’t be released until August 20, which means there are four weeks left for more curious marketing spots, creepy clowns and all. Credits after the jump.

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Team One, Lexus Take a Leap with 200 Instagrammers

It’s amazing how many automakers still rely on the old ad formula: shiny spinning wheels, long remote, wooded roads, sun glinting off an immaculate vehicle, and a dramatic soundtrack. Some, of course, take the innovative route with ads like Fiat’s In da (mother)hood and Landrover’s Roam Free.

Lexus falls halfway on the innovation scale with #LexusInstafilm, in which they gathered 200 Instagrammers to capture the 2014 Lexus IS F Sport in all its filtered glory, then compiled the images to create a stop-motion-y film. The collaboration turns out to be beautiful, and the people behind it good-natured. A burly bearded man asks, “How’s my hair?” And a fellow Instagrammer fixes it for him. Doesn’t get much cuter than that.

While it probably won’t go viral since the focus of the feature is a character-less car, the idea of combining controlled creativity, new technology, and enthusiastic people is a winning one. Hopefully we’ll see this kind of spot again. To check out each frame of the film, go to http://instagram.com/lexusinstafilm.

Credits after the jump

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Team One Taps into the Unknown for ‘The Bureau: XCOM Declassified’ Trailer

I must admit that I’m not the avid videogamer I once was. I hung up my gaming cleats in my late teens (about five years ago) and have watched the new releases from afar, flexing my knuckles, trying to avoid a destiny of Carpal tunnel syndrome. Usually, videogame ads all look the same and sport some generic 9/10 rating. But occasionally, a commercial will stand out and make wonder whether I should play again. For those of us who are worried about falling off the wagon, a compelling game ad can be both exciting and scary.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified trailer – created by Team One, which also handles Lexus of course – may be vague, but it is certainly not generic. The three-minute spot sells tone in a cinematic style, and according to Team One, contains 20 Easter eggs for future customers. The game is set in the Cold War and re-imagines a doomsday Cold War where aliens invade instead of Russians. You then have the fearless protagonist who will stop at no costs to complete his mission. The game will be out August 20, and the creators have promised more mysterious pieces of ad content leading up to the release date.

Credits after the jump.

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