Lexus Australia has announced the appointment of Publicis Groupe’s Team One Australia as its new brand and retail creative agency, following a competitive pitch.
Team One is a bespoke agency that has been created specifically to service the Lexus account, encompassing responsibility for strategy, creative, social media and customer-relationship management.
Publicis’s Saatchi and Saatchi already handles all of Toyota’s creative in Australia (Lexus is part of the Toyota brand), while Publicis’ Spark Foundry handles all of Toyota’s media spends.
Lexus Australia chief executive John Pappas said this significant change coincided with Lexus embarking on a new chapter in design and dynamic performance plus an even greater focus on expanding its portfolio of electrified vehicles.
“Team One has clearly demonstrated innovative strategies and plans that will play a defining role in shaping the future of Lexus in Australia as a human-centred brand that delivers a benchmark luxury experience to everyone interested in driving a Lexus,” Pappas said.
“We look forward to them playing an instrumental role in helping to double our sales mix of electrified vehicles to around 80 per cent by 2025 as we evolve Lexus into a brand focused on battery-electric vehicles,” he said.
Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Groupe ANZ, said: “On behalf of the Groupe, we are honoured to be appointed to the Lexus Australia business. It’s an exciting time for one of the world’s most progressive and sustainable luxury car brands. To ensure we bring the best thinking and global connectivity to Lexus, we will be launching our integrated Team One agency into the Australian market. Team One is our global agency that handles Lexus in the US, and operates at the intersection of luxury, data and technology. Through Publicis Groupe’s connected capabilities and talent, our focus will be on finding new ways to engage with consumers through more creative personalised experiences.”
