The LS430 is the marque's latest model to undergo a facelift as it attempts to compete head-to-head with more established rivals in the luxury sector, such as the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S Class.
The car is Lexus' flagship model and is being positioned as the ultimate in refinement, comfort and performance.
Direct marketing agency Partners Andrews Aldridge has created a direct mail campaign, which is being sent out to about 20,000 existing and prospective Lexus customers. It is targeting BMW and Mercedes owners to try to persuade them to switch brands.
The mail pack has been designed to look and feel luxurious. It contains a booklet, the front of which carries the strapline, 'We created the LS430 and changed the meaning of luxury'. The book contains copy, written in the style of dictionary definitions, on the car's features. Each is a 'definition' of the word 'luxury' and refers to subjects such as safety, performance, comfort and technology -- 'Luxury is where your safety comes first', for example.
Recipients of the mailing are finally invited to test-drive the LS430.
The LS is the first model that Lexus launched when it entered the UK ten years ago. In July, above-the-line agency Saatchi & Saatchi picked up the £2m pan-European advertising business for the latest version of the LS430, which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
The strategy behind the LS430 direct marketing campaign stems from the launch of a relationship marketing programme earlier this year. Partners created a mailing that, rather than promoting a particular model, attempted to communicate the marque's philosophy of luxury. A questionnaire asked recipients about themselves and what motivated their car purchases.
Partners was appointed to the Lexus account in October 2001.
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