Our good friends at Wooden Horse (a magazine writers’ website) tell us that Lexus is launching a lifestyle magazine called . . . Lexus. Below is the official description of the new buff book. Knowing TTAC’s Best and Brightest as I do, I’m sure you can provide Lexus’ editors with a more appropriate list of departments and articles to entertain and amuse [both of] the marque’s non-narcoleptic owners/enthusiasts.
It is a loyalty and brand-building publication and is mailed for free to anyone who owns or leases a Lexus vehicle. The editorial covers lifestyle, the arts, fine dining and travel, as well as vehicle reviews and test drives of the newest Lexus models. Departments include:
Lexus News – The latest on Lexus’s products, services, owner benefits, and partnerships.
Lexus Sense – Information on timely products and events that will help Lexus owners indulge their senses.
Spotlight – A feature profile on Lexus owners.
LEXicon Culture Pages – A magazine-within-the-magazine dedicated to categories of interest to readers, including Travel, Active Pursuits, Design, Products for Good Living, Cuisine and Philanthropy.
Sensibility – A back-page essay highlighting a notable innovator.
You mean Lexus owners need to be patted on the back a bit more, told they’re special, and that people look up to them? Gawd… What patronizing dribble.
Interview: Lexus-named porn star(let) or exotic dancer of the month. There’s an exotic dancer who goes by Lexus Lane, speaking of which…
Lexus in not-so-popular culture:
– Lexus (HOT) lanes
– Two Lexus Fight: “every lobbyist involved could look forward to a bonus big enough to buy a new Lexus not only for himself or herself, but also for his or her spouse”
– Song lyrics including the word Lexus by Tupac Shakur
– short name: Lex
I think Lexus magazine in general should have a more humorous and self-deprecating side than the typical ‘you are special’ rags.
For example, I think they should target a column that would feature various ‘Special Editions’ towards specific professions.
Attorneys: The Lexus ‘We Sue Who’ Edition.
Compartments under the seats would hold important information under lock and key. The Nav screen would highlight the Attorney’s largest monetary awards for the year.
Doctors: The Lexus ‘Clinical’ Edition.
The entire exterior and interior is done in sterile white. Lexus will provide the customer with a very nice pair of gloves. The steering wheel will continually take the pulse of the driver, and an air conditioning setting that will carry the scent of a hospital.
Professors, lobbyists, engineers, teachers… you can do one of those exterior/interior pictures and arrow points that highlight many of the unique features of the ‘professional vehicle’. All done in good fun.
With the “import tuner” crowd finally able to afford old IS300s and the advent of the IS-F, articles on “how best to pretend you don’t know that the car driven by that sloppily-dressed young man is also a Lexus.”
…Then in the back of the magazine, tuning articles for the aforementioned IS owners.
Er, Lexus magazine isn’t new. I used to get them when I had my old SC300. Incredibly dull magazine, even more so than the cars.
Um, for the demographics that apply, the publication needs some articles like:
Dilbert Explained
How NOT to be the Pointy Haired Boss
Lexus has been sending mags to owners for years. VW, Audi, and many others do the same thing.
Recently, I received an email from Lexus stating that their magazine was going online only (printing and mailing has got to be incredibly expensive). I wonder if they’ve had a change of heart?
They could have a short section on Lexus on the web. Back at the beginning of the web – I was using Mosiac (a prehistoric ur-browser) – a car dealer PO’ed some geek who retaliated with a website. Specifically, http://www.Lexus of Annapolis Sucks.com. Several pages long, each with an illustration from Dante’s seven circles of hell. The dealership kept trying to squash him, but he was more resilient than a cockroach and gleefully recounted how he did a work around their efforts.
I think he was completely wrong about his complaint,BTW.
So, waddya think, Lexus going to be interested?
The Lexus DIY Page could feature such articles as:
How to change your oil while simultaneously texting your latest real estate deal.
How to change your sparkplugs without soiling your white gloves.
Adding windshield washer fluid without spilling a drop on the leather. (First step? Turn to page 73 in the owner’s manual to find out where that hood release is located.)
How to deport oneself at the Lexus Dealer Service Dept. when complaining about the articles above.
Etc.
Like all brand specific mags, something to make their target demographic feel good like “Discover the sexy side of dentistry”, “The wild men of accounting (and the women who love them)” or “Double billing: Why the savvy young attorneys of today are loving it” and for active pursuits maybe “Spinning classes and yoga: the spiritual essence of the rugged 21st century alpha male.”
Not forgetting the focus on future technology with an in depth look at how the fusion of the upcoming 20 speed automatic transmission and an additional 1,000 lbs of sound insulation material will make your Lexus inaudible to the human ear.
For the “power band” of the Lexus demographics: lots of travel, wine and food….and throw in some Garrison Keillor-type pieces. Think Food Network, Bravo, PBS and the Discovery networks rolled into a magazine.
If you want to target my brother (cop/Army reserves/IS 350 driver): a review of the latest MRE flavors or a history of Glocks.
The magazine should do a comparison test. Viagra vs Cialis.
It could start out something like this:
“This is the only issue of Lexus you will ever receive. Sorry – we had our heads up our butts. We are losing the cachet war, so we guessed you could do with some smug, smarmy treacle in your life so you wouldn’t feel second-best to your neighbor who drives a BMW.
“After a while, we figured out that in the long run this would cost us customers. We realized that many people are put off by conspicuous consumption, and know the difference between real and store-bought values. Others would think they must be over-paying for our cars, just like Mercedes customers. For their $60k, Benz buyers got $40k worth of car and $20k worth of brand (the $20k of repairs comes later). We thought we could poach some of those Benz buyers if we classed up, but we’ve realized that repeat customers are the backbone of our business and we can’t go all Conde Nast on you without you thinking you’ve been duped into spending too much. If you wanted to put on a cheesy Donald Trump air, you never would have bought a Lexus in the first place.
“Again, we apologize. We re-read our own history, and now see we earned our place in the market by selling very reliable luxury cars at a fair price. When we deluded ourselves into thinking that wasn’t good enough, maybe it was our own egos we were trying to boost by slathering our cars with diamond night mystique. We’ll go back to doing what we do best, and leave the social-climber, nouveau shtick to those who have no shame, and let them keep selling strut to people stupid enough to buy $5,000+ watches in the hope someone will notice. We’ll let our own customers keep right on impressing others with their common sense for having selected our cars.”
I don’t think anyone in my upper middle class neighborhood in LEXington MA owns a Lexus. I can’t think of a one offhand. So: why Lexington spurns the Lexus.
It needs a gold club. Each month a new piece of gold-plated trim will be offered in limited supply. Reserve yours early.
How will this magazine be different from Cigar Aficionado, Architecture Digest, Car and Driver, and other self-important, self-obsessed rags?
Corporate magazines are crap – the management is incapable of keeping its hands off, and the copy and articles always turn into self-serving tripe and dribble.
I had a hand in one, and was told to change the copy where I had mentioned the designer of one of their iconic models, but was told to remove this reference, because their present designer wouldn’t like it.
This was a world famous brand, made famous by this first designer’s contribution to it – and every single fan of the brand knew who the designer of that period was. But the new designer’s ego had to be coddled, so out went the reference — of course resulting in a lot of “why didn’t you mention xxx” queries to the brand.
And that was just one episode. The way they try to wedge advertising for themselves into everything is ridiculous. Just a waste of money, like most advertising.
They’re great if you’re an insomniac. Will put you to sleep in a couple of minutes, tops.
Being a Lexus (ES) owner, I receive the Lexus magazine, and I don’t even bother to open them anymore – straight to the circular file they go. They’re full of articles that appeal only to (presumably) the super rich, the image conscious, and the environmentalists. They don’t realize that some of their customers are not millionaires, but are normal hard working Americans who saved their pennies for a comfy luxury car. Here are some things I’d like to see in the mag:
* Dealer service dept coupons – Ex: $70 off your next $80 oil change, $40 off a $60 tire rotation, $120 off your next $140 cabin air filter replacement + oil change, $300 off your yearly $350 nav DVD upgrade
* Future vehicle sneak-peeks
* Why my next vehicle should be a Lexus articles, with pull-out section explaining discounts offered to owners of models having factory defects (google 2007 Camry/ES v6 transmission)
* Articles explaining ongoing training dealer mechanics will undergo so they can service your Lexus without returning it with more damage and defects than when you dropped it off
* Tips on how to customize the standard factory stereo so it sounds better than those in a Kia Rio
* Articles on novel/advanced tech in the cars
I always thought that the magazine that Cadillac had was good. It included information about higher end products that I was not previously exposed to. Based on adverts published therein, I bought two rings from Furer-Jacot and investigated golf clubs from Royaltee as well as Wellendorf jewelry.
The Cadillac magazine also had great writeups about classics from its 100 year heritage, and owners who were on their 10th Cadillac or had driven one million miles, etc. I guess both of those would be hard for Lexus to copy.
There were also motoring segments featuring travel to culturally significant destinations. I remember reading one about Montreal that inspired me to go there.
“10 best reasons for owning a tarted up Toyota”
“Why your tarted up Toyota is better than a tarted up Chevy/Ford”
“10 best answers for explaining that you are a driving a Lexus and not a tarted up Toyota”
“How to maintain a cool, calm persona when the BMW driver refers to your car as a Camry”
Premium people don’t ‘buy’ Lexus.
Others would think they must be over-paying for our cars, just like Mercedes customers. For their $60k, Benz buyers got $40k worth of car and $20k worth of brand (the $20k of repairs comes later).
LOL. But on the other hand, branding is important.
I’ve always thought it was funny that bmw is only considered a slightly upscale brand in europe with their cloth seat underpowered models, but it’s OMG ultimatest driving machine in america (for bimbos and guys with popped collars).
Lexus to be fair is the perfect complement to toyota. It’s the luxury marque for people who don’t care about cars. So if they had a magazine, it should talk about all the pretentious stuff other than the car.
A magazine? And a corporate one at that? People still read those? The only time I used to read a magazine was in the loo… until wifi enabled the use of a laptop to surf the net while on the throne.
Dick:
“You mean Lexus owners need to be patted on the back a bit more, told they’re special, and that people look up to them? Gawd… What patronizing dribble.”
Stan X:
“Corporate magazines are crap – the management is incapable of keeping its hands off, and the copy and articles always turn into self-serving tripe and dribble.”
“Gentlemen…” (said with the condescending voice of the Lexus announcer)”…the term you seek is drivel, as in the ‘the Lexus rag smothers its owners in snobbery-affirming drivel‘…”
Then Kew. :-)