As one of Japan’s largest-selling premium vehicle manufacturers, Lexus know about craft and innovation. So, when they needed to find a way to cement their status as a global luxury brand – and connect with new and future audiences in the process – they came to Winkreative for creative thinking that would put their mission in motion.
Travel & Hospitality
Lexus
Driving the conversation for Japan’s leading luxury car brand
The brand’s craft heritage, and their openness to inspiring design and culture-shaping ideas, provided the perfect jumping-off point for our strategic thinking and creative ideas. It led us to ‘Driving Design Naturally’, a campaign that placed the brand as a denizen of the design world and bolstered Lexus’ reputation through their cultural presence.
This was a platform as multi-faceted as the brand itself – a holistic approach that included everything from a global magazine to bespoke products. At its heart was Intersect by Lexus, a revolutionary retail concept that shared the brand’s pioneering vision for the future of design. Launching in Tokyo’s Aoyama district, it brought the Lexus brand out of the suburbs and into the company of other design-focused luxury brands. Later expanding to Dubai and New York, it became a vital connection point for the brand – a place for new and existing customers to discover events, music, exhibitions, and Crafted for Lexus, a series of branded products specially created by Japanese artisans.
Across the board, our work represented Lexus’ ambition to venture further than expected. It’s an idea that came through in Beyond magazine, a publication covering lifestyle, culture and cars with an editorial approach that set the brand apart from competitors. And it inspired our creation of the Lexus Design Award – an international design competition that positions Lexus as a patron of the world’s next generation of design talent and, which a decade on, has only grown in stature and continues to support innovative excellence.
“Winkreative’s vision is going to lead the luxury industry into becoming something new and exciting – it is a vision for the future” Atushi Takada General Manager of Lexus International
A new point of view
Whether showcasing beautifully crafted objects, telling eye-catching design stories or taking readers on exhilarating car journeys, our art direction for Beyond is full of energy and invention.
A space to connect
Intersect is a new form of brand experience, brought to life in Tokyo, Dubai and New York. With a private lounge, an exhibition, a curated library and a ‘Crafted for Lexus’ collection of products, Intersect is more akin to a concept store than a car showroom.
Putting craftsmanship first
We worked with Japanese artisans to create a range of products, Crafted for Lexus, that celebrate the artistry of quality goods. The products were grouped into lifestyle categories and had a broad appeal, with items ranging from sunglasses to technology accessories.
Celebrating rare talent
We devised the Lexus Design Award, an international design competition that positions Lexus as a patron of the world’s next generation of design talent. The award ceremony, hosted at Salone del Mobile in Milan each year, has become a fixture of the world’s leading design festival.
