When you've spent a few hours on the M6 (as I have recently), you soon start ascribing personalities to the drivers of certain car marques. Audi? Quick, yet disciplined. Jaguar? Fat and annoying. Nissan Micra? Don't get me started! Avoid at all costs! And then there's Lexus.
The Lexus driver exudes a quiet confidence. They have cash, but don't flash it. However, they certainly appreciate the finer things in life. And they have an eye for a bargain. You know the type. When you get to the supermarket, they're the ones who've already cleared all the "better than half price" wines off the shelf while you were still on your third snooze.
For the marketer, the conundrum is how to get your message across using the favoured weapons - intrigue, drama, involvement - while maintaining that understated tone of voice. It's a real balancing act. Too far one way and the communication is just dull. Too far the other way and it's just not Lexus any more, but something much less subtle, even ugly. Ford, maybe.
Where, on this tricky spectrum, is a recent customer mailing to Lexus owners? It starts well with an elegant landscape envelope in heavy, glossy stock. "WHY COMPROMISE?" it says. OK, not the most original headline, but then Lexus owners are not the quirky, creative type, so it is at least empathetic.
Inside, a letter outlines a series of complimentary upgrades for being a loyal Lexus customer. It's factual, succinct and polite. Again, just what the customer would appreciate.
I was always taught that advertising should reward the reader. In the 3D world of direct mail, there is always the opportunity to give the communication "play value". So instead of a conventional leaflet, the there's Lexus-shaped paint swatch. It's a neat way to make all the offers digestible.
Overall, then, what's the verdict? While the copy is a little repetitive ("thank you" and "complimentary" make several appearances) and the use of a sun flare is a rather tired art directional ploy, this is an impressive piece by virtue of not being in any way loud or crass.
Simon S Kershaw is a creative consultant. A former creative director at Craik Jones, Kershaw writes a weekly column for marketingdirectmag.co.uk and the DM Bulletin.
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