Lexus Starts Interactive Campaign for Hybrids

Lexus seems to be well aware of the fact that advertising is the heart of commerce and promotes its products accordingly. The luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota have partnered with Sway Studio, a renown animation, effects, and design studios in North America, to promote the brand’s Hybrid line.

More than a dozen demonstration movies marketing the high-tech features of the new Lexus HS250h were therefore created, showing the luxury hybrid driving through city, urban and country environments.

"The incorporation of motion graphics into nearly every shot compelled us to develop an appropriate pipeline with the partner company supplying most of the motion graphics," said SWAY VFX Supervisor Aaron Powell. "Lexus was so happy with the results that they want to use some of them for broadcast as well."

"We shattered all of our previous records in terms of how fast and efficiently we got this done," says SWAY Founder/Creative Director Mark Glaser. "We're constantly adapting and evolving. This project was a surge forward in our throughput capability."

Sway Studio is not at its first collaboration with a carmaker. Earlier this summer it developed an all-CG HD broadcast campaign for the MINI car brand, completing three spots in four weeks. Among the company's other recent automotive milestones was the first ever all-CG driving shot for BMW. Other recent credits include a 2010 Ford Taurus campaign and interactive content for HyundaiGenesis.com and HyundaiUSA.com.

However, for those of you that wish to see more on Glaser and his team work, there some virtual stunt driving scene in the upcoming movie, ‘2012’, scheduled to premiere on November 13. This involved driving a stretch limousine over devastated road surfaces created by an apocalyptic earthquake using the physics-based simulation within the proprietary Drive-A-Tron.