Lexus Plays in Video Game Space
Lexus is letting consumers take a virtual test drive of its luxury car through a video game.
The automaker is the latest brand to use integration in video games to promote its vehicles. The Lexus IS350 that appears in Atari’s Test Drive Unlimited Xbox 360 game can be downloaded and tested for its real-life performance attributes, including fast acceleration, Lexus said.
Additional vehicles will be available for download through the spring on Xbox Live.
Online banner ads and materials support the initiative.
The effort marks the first time Lexus has used video games to promote its vehicles. The company decided to test in-game ads as a way to reach 20- to 30-year-old affluent consumers with a unique way to sample the brand.
“Our foray into online gaming will help Lexus reach the IS model’s younger target audience, educate gamers to the many styling and performance aspects of the IS, and also further expose Lexus as a brand with high-performance attributes,” Deborah Wahl-Meyer, Lexus vice president of marketing, said in a statement.
In Test Drive Unlimited, players win races, challenges missions and tournaments to earn credit to buy new cars, bikes, apparel and homes. The arcade-style racing game, which features more than 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles, is rated E10 (appropriate for players 10 and older) and sells for $39.99.
Channel M, Los Angeles, arranged the deal and handles the campaign.
