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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.

2014 Lexus CT shows new face on each side of the Pacific [w/video]

Earlier today, Lexus officially took the wraps off its 2014 CT 200h at the Guangzhou Motor Show, and now we've gotten a chance to inspect the updated hybrid hatchback right here at the LA Auto Show.
As expected, the most prominent change made to the CT's styling is the addition of Lexus' signature spindle grille. Additional changes include new wheel options and revised front and rear fascias, but our favorite update to the car is to the headlights, where there is no longer a gap in the middle of the LED running lights. The luxury hatchback has also received some changes to the cabin, including an updated instrument gauge cluster, a new fixed nav screen that replaces the previous folding unit and a freshened combination of cabin materials.
No changes have been made to the CT's hybrid powertrain, meaning the model will carry on with a 134-horsepower 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder paired with a drive motor and an electronic continuously variable transmission. Fuel economy ratings likely won't stray too much from the 2013 model's 43 miles per gallon city and 40 mpg highway ratings.

Next Lexus LX 600 and LX 750h specs reportedly leaked

Specs for the next Lexus LX appear to have been leaked to a Japanese blog. The flagship luxury SUV will reportedly come in two flavors, and offer greater differentiation from its Land Cruiser cousin than ever before. One of those variants is, for the first time, a hybrid version. The Japanese site Creative Trend reported on the 300-series Land Cruiser specs before most, and aside from some small discrepancies in horsepower and torque numbers, was surprisingly accurate. They even called the existence of a GR Sport performance trim level. Now, they've turned their focus to the LX. As translated by Lexus Enthusiast, the entry spec will be called the LX 600, and will likely feature the Land Cruiser's 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. That should be good for an identical 415 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. Creative Trend adds that in the Middle East, the entry model will be called LX 500d, implying it'll be equipped with the Land Cruiser's turbodiesel 3.3-liter V6 generating 309 horses and 516 lb-ft.  The flagship model, however, is said to be the LX 750h, which adds a hybrid-electric system to the 3.5-liter petrol V6. Together, they'd make a potent 480 horsepower and 642 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain is not available on the Land Cruiser. In addition, the LX will have a more luxurious and high-tech interior, with a rumored version of the new Lexus Interface that appeared on the new Lexus NX. However, whereas the NX sports a 14-inch version of the screen, the LX will reportedly receive a 17-inch version. Incidentally, it seems the LX may have already been seen in the NX's reveal video, albeit under a white cloth. Additionally, we have it on good authority from friends in Japanese media that both the Land Cruiser and Lexus LX will, in Japan, feature a fingerprint recognition system on the engine start button. The off-roaders routinely top the stolen vehicles list in Japan, with about 5 out of every 100 registered vehicles stolen every year and rates increasing. Most of them end up being shipped overseas where Land Cruisers and Lexus LXes are seen as tough status symbols. Lastly, the report says Lexus Japan will start accepting pre-orders in September, with the LX itself debuting in December. While we are sadly not privy to the new Land Cruiser, it's likely the Lexus LX will arrive stateside. Whether these specs carry over remains to be seen. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.