TORRANCE, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2016)—Lexus is launching a new integrated marketing campaign for its annual “December to Remember” Sales Event that offers a clever look at family togetherness. Anchored by five general market commercials plus two adaptations for multicultural media, the ads aim to rekindle adults’ love for the holidays and encourages customers to embrace the childlike sense of wonder that accompanies the season.  

“The holidays are a magical time for children, but this year’s campaign reminds everyone, regardless of age, that they’re never too old to wish,” said Brian Smith, Lexus vice president of marketing. “Kids have a lifeline to Santa that adults can’t touch, and these spots offer a genuine yet humorous take on families working together so everyone can have a December to remember.”

All five cinematic spots feature a Lexus vehicle as the ultimate object of desire, each with a family working together to reach Santa Claus. The first spot, “Forgery,” shows a mother and father writing a note to Santa in red crayon, mimicking a child’s handwriting. Their nine-year-old son walks into the room and catches them asking Santa for a Lexus RX F SPORT on his behalf. He relents to the forged letter, but only if they’ll also ask Santa for a puppy. The spot cuts to the boy chasing a puppy around the SUV on Christmas morning; both the puppy and the RX are adorned with the iconic red bow.

The second spot, “Auntie,” features an aunt coaching her precocious niece to ask a mall Santa for a Lexus RC F. The aunt slips the girl a twenty-dollar bill as a trade, and the two high five when the vehicle appears in the family’s driveway.

The third spot, “Santa Letter,” opens with a young girl writing an elaborate letter to Santa at her kitchen table. Her mom dictates from across the room, directing her to ask for a Lexus GS F. When the girl struggles, the mom dashes across the kitchen to continue the letter. The two celebrate together when the GS F is delivered.

The fourth spot, “Mall Santa,” shows a boy on Santa’s knee at a shopping mall as he shares what he’d like for Christmas. He looks up to catch his dad’s eyes, and his dad mouths the words “Lexus LX 570” along with his desired wheel and tech specifications. His son dutifully repeats the words aloud to Santa, and both give each other an excited thumbs up. The whole family runs outside the house the following morning to find the LX parked in the snowy driveway.

The last spot, “Santa Cam,” opens with a girl video chatting with Santa from her living room. She requests a Lexus IS F SPORT sedan, since she’s been “really good this year.” Santa, skeptical, questions her gift wish. Her dad jumps in from off-camera, using a stuffed toy and a high-pitched voice to answer him. They slam the laptop screen shut in hopes Santa believed her request, and the two celebrate together when the bow-topped car appears. All five spots end with the iconic “December to Remember” jingle and a voiceover that states, “If you’re going to wish, wish big.”

The broadcast spots begin airing Nov. 16 on network and cable television, sports channels and more. One of the spots, “Santa Cam,” will be translated for the Hispanic market, and a second version of “Forgery” will be created for the Asian-American market, providing further reach. The print campaign adopts a similarly playful tone with exclusive illustrations from artist Andrew Bannecker. The ads show various Lexus vehicles topped with red bows alongside the headline, “Wish, Granted,” and offer a modern interpretation of a classic winter wonderland. The digital campaign utilizes the same artwork for banner ads that will run on popular automotive and culture websites, and out-of-home extensions include placements in Verizon Center and Times Square. The campaign also features seven weeks of multicultural media presence across 16 key markets, which includes broadcast, radio, print and digital executions.

The December Sales Event offers incentives through Jan. 3, 2017. To view the spots, visit YouTube.com/Lexus.