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Lexus' December to Remember reshaped by the pandemic

After spending the summer convincing consumers to take socially distanced breaks from grim reality, advertisers are now returning to the pandemic as the central focus in holiday shopping campaigns launching this month. U.S. companies from carmakers to retailers are under pressure to make the shopping season a success after retail sales crashed 21% earlier this year as millions of Americans lost jobs and cut their budgets. They face the challenge of convincing consumers to open their wallets for the holidays even as the coronavirus pandemic rages anew across the United States and Europe. As new campaigns roll out, brands feel it is their responsibility to inspire optimism for the coming year, but also empathize with “the hurt that people have,” said Jason Schragger, chief creative officer at ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi. Carmaker LexusÂ’ iconic “December to Remember” campaign, which features cars wrapped in giant red bows on picturesque snowy driveways, will focus on the different role that driveways have played this year, as people sought ways to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and other milestones despite stay-at-home orders. New TV commercials launching on Monday feature family and friends doing a drive-by graduation party in their Lexus vehicles as a student in a cap and gown waves from her driveway. In another, a man greets his children and grandkids from a distance as they drive by, waving a homemade “Happy Birthday, Grandpa” sign. "We wanted to make sure we weren't showing large gatherings of people," said Lisa Materazzo, vice president of marketing at Lexus, owned by Toyota. "But it's nice to have a live interaction, and that can happen when you're safe in the car and waving from the driveway." Staying connected during the pandemic is the message behind ads for the department store MacyÂ’s, whose window displays and Santaland attraction have been hallmarks of the holidays since the late 19th century. At a time when flying home or hosting big family gatherings can be dangerous, Macy's is focusing on how finding and giving the perfect gift plays an even bigger role in connecting with people you can not see in person this year, according to Macy's chief customer officer Rich Lennox. A similar theme underpins Etsy's commercial, in which a woman who longs to see her grandson opens a gift of a handmade doll that matches a picture he had drawn.

Chevy Camaro ZL1, Lexus LFA celebrate National Donut Day

Happy National Donut Day, everyone! While some of us may have already celebrated this high-caloric holiday at our local Dunkin' Donuts or Tim Horton's, Chevrolet and Lexus have taken the opportunity to offer us delicious donuts of a different sort. Using a "professional donut maker" and a 2013 Camaro ZL1, Chevy has released a video of its 580-horsepower coupe laying down some serious rubber. Lexus has countered with its LFA supercar and, oddly, LPGA pro golfer Natalie Gulbis.
Just like many of the donut chains across the country, Chevy and Lexus are giving away these donuts for free. Not only do their donuts contain zero fat, they're also easily enjoyable over the Internet, albeit nowhere near as tasty as a Krispy Kreme. Scroll down to enjoy both videos.

2019 Lexus ES First Drive Review | Entry-level luxury that wants to have fun

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For 2019, the Lexus ES is all new and marks the seventh generation of the Japanese nameplate's entry-level luxury four-door. We're happy to report that the redesign brings some very welcome attributes, and the 2019 Lexus ES does everything you'd want an entry-level luxury vehicle to do. Performance, no matter which of the two drivetrain options you choose, is respectable, interior comfort is on par with a Restoration Hardware sofa you'd spend real money on, handling is communicative, and most important for a Lexus, it's serenely quiet inside. While these are great attributes, there are a few places we wish Lexus had spent more energy revamping. Through the humid hill country just outside Nashville, on a mix of the congested city arteries and the flowing switchbacks of Tennessee's forested interior, we put the ES through its paces. The 2019 ES is based on Toyota's TNGA platform, which underpins both the latest Avalon and Camry models. Perhaps that'd constitute a knock in a previous era, but the new Camry chassis is a rollicking peach compared to some others in its class. It's rigid enough for a windy road dance, but compliant enough for daily-driver duties. Even better, Lexus engineers improved the TNGA platform for use in the ES. A 200 percent increase in stiffness over the previous ES is due in part to a liberal use of structural adhesives and laser-welded screws. The front strut towers are reinforced, and topped with a brace between them. This extra attention to detail pays dividends that include a smoother ride and better handling. New adaptive Dynamic Control Shocks quietly smooth out bumps and undulations, allowing us to wind through the rural backcountry roads confidently, and the steering gives better feedback than we'd expect from a vehicle like the Lexus ES. Pushing the big sedan into one of the many hilly, and often blind, corners along our route elicits only a minute amount of body roll. But chassis improvements aren't the only upgrade from the previous model. The 2019 Lexus ES comes standard with a 3.6-liter V6 delivering 302 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 267 pound-feet of torque at 4,700 rpm. This represents a bump of 34 hp and 19 lb-ft from the previous generation's V6. The engine is coupled to Lexus' new eight-speed automatic transmission, which is encased in a housing smaller than the brand's previous six-speed automatic.