First of all, a clarification: I'm afraid I may have mistakenly given the impression in yesterday's post that we are trying to conceive. We aren't. In fact, we are actively Trying Not to Conceive, and will remain that way until, at a minimum, a year has passed since my surgery. I just did the pre-conception appointment because I was due for an annual exam, needed to find an OB/GYN here in Denver, and thought it would be a good way to see if I could find a practice I liked. So, don't hold your breath for any Big Announcements anytime soon. Sorry!
Now, onto other subjects. Because if I keep talking about babies I will drive myself certifiably insane over the fact that I can't have them right now, and I WANT THEM.
So, moving on, what is WITH the latest Lexus ad campaign? Have you all seen this? The cars with the giant red bows on top? And the voiceover about how your loved ones would really like a Lexus for Christmas? You've seen it, right?
So, you know, just for kicks, I popped over to the Lexus website and had a look at their prices. The cheapest Lexus starts at over $30,000. The most expensive starts at over $100k.
That's nice, right? I mean, here we are in a recession and most of my friends are totally planning to spend the cost of a down payment on holiday gifts. I have friends right, left, and center who are trying to figure out how on earth they'll spend their $50,000 gift budget this year. Thank god Lexus came along with this earth-shattering suggestion!
Also, I don't know about the rest of you but a car is a rare, Big Deal kind of purchase at our house, and not the kind of thing that I'd like Torsten to decide on without discussing with me. I mean, even if $50k were like pocket change to us (though I'm really not sure that $50k is like pocket change to anyone other than celebrities). I'd still want to talk about it and decide what was best for us, together.
And if you WERE rich enough to just buy a car, like that, as a gift, without consultation, as though it were nothing... wouldn't you be driving a Bentley or something?
ALSO, who teaches their kid to drive in a Lexus? Shouldn't you use some crappy old car for that? I mean, really.
My point is, I think Lexus is way off-base with this ad campaign, and it pisses me off every time I see another one of their commercials talking about how a luxury car is a great Christmas present because of the memories you'll have of it. THINK OF THE MEMORIES. You just can't GET memories like this in, I don't know, a Ford. Because you'll always remember, no matter what the memories are, that they didn't take place in a Lexus. And that will ruin the whole thing for you.
I'm just saying. The kind of memories that make me happy are the things like last night, when I watched The Devil Wears Prada with Torsten while he rubbed my back, even though he has zero interest in that movie and had a really long workday. It was so cozy and he is so sweet. That's the kind of memory that sticks. Even though our couch isn't even brand name.
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Lexus runs the same ad campaign EVERY YEAR, and every year it just pisses me off even more. You're absolutely right: Who buys someone a CAR for Christmas? Who would make that kind of decision without consulting their significant other? It's stupid, and sort of insulting if you think about it.
ReplyDeleteI frickin' hate that ad. SO dumb. Our Christmas budget is around $300 so... yeah...
ReplyDeleteMy dad did this for my mom. They had been talking about buying a car for a while, looking and whatnot, but they just weren't sure if they wanted to spend as much as the car was. It was actually a Lexus, and one day my dad drove her up to the dealership and there was a Lexus with a bow on it for her. I don't think this is really just aimed at people who have a $50K Xmas budget so much as people who want to surprise someone with something they had been talking about and were planning on buying at some point.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't like Lexuses (or snob cars in general) so I definitely don't like the ad. I remember that ad from last year, I think, too, so apparently Lexus just doesn't care about what the people watching its ads are going through.
ReplyDeleteThat said, no issue with a car as a gift as long as the giver knows what the recipient wants. When the New Beetles came out my dad went out and bought my mom one for Mother's Day - because we were all driving ourselves at that point, so the SUV was no longer necessary for her day-to-day life and she'd always wanted a Bug. Best, most thoughtful gift ever.
No one who knows me would ever buy me a car for Christmas. I'm a control freak who'd want to do all the research and shopping MYSELF to make sure I got the best possible deal. Plus I hate to drive and would probably never buy a brand new car that was only going to get driven twice a week. I agree!
ReplyDeleteIt's the same as those stupid Kay jeweler commercials they show every year with mass produced, fugly jewelry. Or the Folgers commercials. All are unrealistic, but most commercials are. That being said, the thought process behind the Lexus commercial (same every year and now I think BMW has a competing one about how there is NO BOW) might be that they are advertising not just for "hey buy a car as an Xmas gift", but also "it's the end of the year, so we need to move some of the current year model cars....you might get a better price". I would also hope any Xmas car gift would be something the giver and receiver have already discussed in terms of what kind of car they would ideally like and not just someone randomly buying a Lexus without knowing if the receiver has any interest in Lexuses (Lexi??).
ReplyDelete- Mon
ha! i bet those memories would have been EVEN BETTER on a fancy brand-name $30k couch!! :-)
ReplyDeletei am so with you. i'd be PISSED if my husband went and spent $50k of our money without consulting me, even if it WERE on something "for me"!!
(unless it were a year-long around-the-world vacation. he's allowed to surprise me with that and spend our life savings on it.)
These commercials drive me nuts.
ReplyDeleteAnnoying!
I agree w/slynnro...My dad did this for my mom as well and, again, it's something they were shopping for anyway. What a nice surprise! I could totally see my husband doing this for me if we were planning on buying a new car around Christmas as well. And, I like the ads! Can't a girl fantasize?
ReplyDeleteHa!
ReplyDeleteAds like this are why I have trouble refraining from bitter sarcastic commentary while watching TV.
I do see where Jess and others are coming from (I know I'm not getting a Lexus for Christmas), but I do take issue with calling things "Snob Cars." I drive a BMW because I like it and it's safe. I don't think that makes me a snob.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me laugh out loud! Poor, poor, misguided Lexus. :)
ReplyDeleteThese commercials aren't new. They show them every year.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's not like most people buy a car outright. People generally lease or get a loan. So REALLY, the gift isn't a $50k gift.
And if you're in the market for a new car ANYWAY, why not surprise the person with something they WANT? I mean, who are you to judge people's finances? Maybe they've been saving up for a Lexus, which happens to be their dream car.
Also, there are usually very good deals on cars this time of year. So if you're in the market, it's not a bad time to buy. And I know I wouldn't mind waking up to a car with a big red bow on it on Xmas morning.
Seems like a stupid thing to get your panties in a bunch about.
It's a commercial. A commercial that you're clearly not the target audience for. The ads are obviously successful in ad recall studies for Lexus otherwise they'd not still be running them.
ReplyDeleteTo Kristabella and Rhiannon--It's not that I have a problem with people purchasing expensive cars (I hope to do so myself someday), or even buying them as Christmas presents under very specific circumstances. I guess I just think that the market of people who would consider doing such a thing, and be affected by a commercial suggesting it as an idea, is very small, and a commercial like this is a bit grating during a recession. I don't mean to be getting my "panties in a bunch" and so forth, per se, but every time I see the commercial, it bugs me. That's all.
ReplyDeleteAlso, yes, that's a good point about the leasing, but as far as loans are concerned, with a $50k loan you're still spending $50k (actually more, with interest), even if you're not paying it all at once. And even with a lease it's still a long-term financial commitment and it just seems to me that there aren't that many people in a position to singlehandedly make a family decision like this at the moment.
Well, I'll take those ads over the new "Give your woman a pap smear for Christmas" CBS ads any day of the week. The "Give your woman a pap smear for Hanukkah" one is even better... the guy actually says "schmear." Oh, they are AWFUL ads! If a pap smear shows up under my tree for Christmas, there will be HELL TO PAY. :)
ReplyDeleteI disagree, dear Jess. Those red bow ads have been playing (in different forms) for years. And, I think there absolutely IS a market for those cars. Probably not among your or my readership. But, for a wider audience beyond just celebrities. I don't think any of us realize just how much money there still is out there, recession or not.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that commercial is unrealistic, but I've also always secretly wanted to be on the receiving end of such an awesome gift. :-)
ReplyDeleteI get your point about companies running commercials like those during a recession, though. My brother and sister-in-law just bought a Lexus (an SUV, not sure what the model is) and they actually sent everyone in our family a text message announcing it, complete with a picture. Considering I had just been laid off and was concerned about my finances and was in NO WAY able to even think about buying such an expensive car, I was miffed by what they did. I thought it was insensitive.
The commercial is a successful marketing campaign because it's memorable, and it probably does sway a few people to buy the cars. Perhaps not on a whim, but maybe because it's something they've been thinking about it.
My ex-boss bought his wife a BMW as a surprise once. He bought her a stickshift, knowing she couldn't drive one, because he wanted to force her to learn. After she got stuck on a hill in traffic and started crying, she forced him to return it, and he lost a ton of money. In case you can't tell from this story, he was a total a-hole and probably couldn't afford to buy a present like that but did it so that he could act like he was that rich.
ReplyDeleteWell, for me it's just yet another commercial that is way off the mark for my interests. It's those commercials about "keeping your family safe" by spraying or wiping your home with chemicals that really gets to me more. But that's a different brand of consumerism all together.
ReplyDeleteAlso now I want to watch the Devil Wears Prada.
Yeah, it's kind of sickening isn't it? It's amazing how much money is wasted in this world.
ReplyDeleteAndy and I created a wonderful memory last night, too! I was really tired and pretty cranky last night when I got home from work, so I turned on my Charlie Brown Christmas movie. And you know the scene when all the kids are on the stage "practicing" their Christmas play? And they're doing all those silly dance moves? He and I got up and danced all around our living room like the Peanuts kids. So Lexus can suck it. :-)
Using your logic then all commercials for luxury products should come to a screeching halt during a recession. This could mean any brand name product, as long as there is a generic, cheaper version available, should not be advertising. Sorry Charmin Bears, you're promoting overspending on toilet paper. People should be buying generic to save money! Sorry Ad Agencies that make commercials, you're no longer needed during this recession as commercials should be limited. Oops, I didn't realize laying all of them off only adds fuel to the recession fire. Now their loss of income will trickle down and even fewer people will be able to buy luxury goods.
ReplyDeleteCrap, this recession will never end.
My boyfriend and I were having almost this same discussion the other day. Do people actually buy cars as Christmas gifts, without their input? Cars are pretty personal choices. And while they are at it, are they going to pay the insurance for me on that sucker too? Because that's gotta be high.
ReplyDelete(Disclaimer, my parents did give me their used car for my 21st birthday. But I think a hand-me-down is different. And they did not pay the insurance.)
They run these sort of car ads every year starting in November and have since the dawn of time. People are obviously a lot more loose with their checkbooks in December as anyone can see by going to your local mall in December and just looking at the parking lot.
ReplyDeleteThey have good deals in Decemeber and honestly the marketing works. Lexus wouldn't spend the huge huge amount of money that those ads cost during prime time if it didn't work. People do buy "surprise" cars for Christmas. I know two people who have done this. I wouldn't personally buying a car for my husband without consultation. But for someone like my mother, who gets way too caught up in the research and decision making of buying a car, this would be a great idea if buying a car was on the table.
It doesn't work for you but purely from a marketing pesrpective they wouldn't run the ad if it didn't work. So, yes, people do buy cars for Christmas.
I've never personally leased a car, but I don't think you pay the entire $50K plus some when you lease. You lease for a number of years (3 is maybe most common?) and then you pay the lease payment every month. So maybe someone got their spouse the car they wanted all year for Christmas and leased it for them. By your logic, future spouses should not drop any wad of cash on an engagement ring for their intended, either. It's a "luxury" and perhaps they weren't consulted before the purchase. I don't think that flies with a lot of married or engaged folks, recession or not (I'm not married, so I just want a date with a non-freak at some point!). I say if people have the money and that's what they want to do with it (consulting their spouse or not), go for it. I may not have that kind of cash, but I'm not going to begrudge those that do during a recession. They are helping the economy, too.
ReplyDeleteAMEN! I couldn't agree more! I always wonder- who buys cars as presents? Apparently no one expect the people who work at Lexus. In fact, I bet 99% of the Lexus employees cannot afford to buy A Lexus, let alone buy them as gifts for someone else.
ReplyDeleteAnd I totally agree. I'd rather take a road trip in a crappy jalopy (sp?) and EXPERIENCE everything, then drive around in a fancy luxury brand with all my senses of the outside world taken away from me.
Oh my gosh! Those commercials drive me bananas every year. Because I agree, who does that? And I think the people who would do that probably aren't moved by a commercial to do so. I always, always think how I would never spend that much money without consulting my spouse.
ReplyDeleteI KNOW that there are people with that much money, but I agree that it's not most of us.
I would LOVE a car as a present as long as total and monthly cost were agreed upon before hand. I find the amount of options out there overwhelming. First sort out make, then model, then options, then financing plan and on and on.... If my husband wanted to do all the grunt work and surprise me with a car with a bow on it? YAY ME!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah that commercial is ridonkulous. Sure it would be nice to get a car as a present, but you never get one outright. There are monthly payments to be made, insurance, etc. I would be PISSED if CP made such a huge purchase without my consent.
ReplyDeleteThis commercial really annoys me too, and I think it's totally ridiculous to give cars as Christmas presents. It's not all about presents and money.
ReplyDeleteAnd obviously, our memories are lame and don't count because they aren't made in a shiny new Lexus!
What galls me the most about the whole ad thing is the insinuation that you will not be truly happy unless you're given such a gift. Nor will you be truly happy unless you give someone such a gift.
ReplyDelete1. I think that if a couple HAD been talking about buying it, then one member "buys it" for the other member, one member is getting credit for giving something that was actually a joint purchase, and the other member is getting gypped out of a gift that's actually for THEM.
ReplyDelete2. I suspect several of your anonymous comments are all from the same person.
3. It seems like YOU were just commenting on something that annoyed you a little, and that the REAL "getting panties in a bunch" people are the ones getting all upset at your annoyance and making sweeping statements about it.
Ha! I like Swistle's observations.
ReplyDeleteMy annoyance is only the FREQUENCY of those commercials. I swear, maybe it's just the channels I watch (Travel channel, lately), but in an hour of TV I will see that stupid ad at least 3 times.
WhatEVER. My daddy totally bought me a Lexus for my birthday and six hot shirtless men served as horses for the carriage that took me into the party where Jay-Z performed. Sorry, for a second there I got my life confused with My Super Sweet Sixteen.
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness those commercials are pure branding (and I think they're well-done from an aesthetic POV). They're appealing to the folks who confuse holiday memories with expensive gifts. That being said, I certainly don't have a problem with Lexuses (hope not since I've now had two) or luxury cars in general. And I could see that it could be a family discussion, but that one party might pay the down payment on the car and then both would contribute to payments. It's not how my parents' marriage works, but as you've said, every couple is different.
If I were being snarky (which I'm not because I know you're not, or if you were, it was a very gentle sort of snark), I could also point out that the commercials that imply you need a husband or children to make good holiday memories are just as annoying to those of us who are single.
I have always had the same thought about commercials/movies/tv shows when someone gives someone else a car. I mean, it's one thing if it's a parent giving their kid a car - if your parents will give you a car you should just be happy with what you get, and they should be the one making the decision as to which car, but if J bought me a car, just out of the blue, well. . . I think I'd be a little annoyed (and then feel horribly guilty about being annoyed about it). I'd want to be a part of that process.
ReplyDelete