Lexus RX cartoon from 25th anniversary issue
Automakers regularly tout anniversaries of many kinds as a way to unite loyalists and generate interest in certain models.
Anniversary celebrations give brands a huge capacity for potential campaigns. They can also act as a vehicle for presenting fans with extensive historical information that would otherwise be scrolled right past.
"Lexus has had much success during the past 25 years," said Allison Takahashi, public relations specialist at Lexus, Torrance, CA.
"Much of that success comes from our dealers who strive to create the best customer experiences," she said.
Trumpeting
A few automotive brands reached milestones last year and a proportionate level of activity seemed to accompany each achievement.
For instance, Lexus reached its 25th year as a brand and honored its legacy through its digital magazine.
The original Lexus LS 400
Anniversary efforts can sometimes seem weighted down by the past, but Lexus managed to keep the issue effervescent with 25 brief articles covering topics such as popular brand ads, the genesis of the RX, motorsports, pop culture, shimamoku wood and the Intersect by Lexus retail and lounge space.
Lexus created the luxury experience space in Tokyo’s Aoyama district for brand loyalists to interact with the automaker and each other.
The “Intersect by Lexus” space let Lexus owners relax and interact with the brand and similar lifestyle brands in myriad ways. Fostering a space that transcends a typical showroom allowed consumers to engage with the brand in new ways (see story).
The 25th anniversary issue also managed to frame pivotal moments such as the 2011 Tsunami in Japan in resilient terms.
From Lexus anniversary issue
Since much of the content is evergreen, the brand shares it periodically on social media, engaging and informing fans in a breezy manner.
Italy's Maserati was busy celebrating its centenary in 2014 with a host of efforts that spanned the entire year.
Similar to Lexus, Maserati built a digital content hub for fans to connect with the brand and explore the past century of evolution.
Maserati Centenary image
The brand hosted museum exhibits, partnered with retailers and even invited fans from around the world to participate in a tour of Italy (see story).
Maserati also positioned its 100 year anniversary as integral to its massive expansion plan from a few thousand cars per year to 75,000 by 2018. The push will be led by the Quattroporte and Ghibli models, two cars that are relatively new but nonetheless had prominent roles in the anniversary efforts.
Mobile applications can also be effective for transferring a sense of reverence to consumers.
For instance, Italian automaker Lamborghini celebrated its 50th anniversary with an iPad app that details the brand’s development throughout the decades and provides interactive content.
Users gain a cumulative knowledge of the brand’s journey as they slide through the app and then are spurred to start their own journey with Lamborghini. By including different types of content at each stage of the app, the brand likely engaged fans with varying degrees of emotional investment (see story).
Back to the basics
Anniversaries are also good times for brands to reflect on lessons learned and regain a founding vision if they have gone astray.
For instance, some brands have expanded dramatically in the past several years, flooding the market and extending into price points that would have been off-limits in the past. Going forward, a return to limited distribution may be in order.
Brands can also shake things up by looking throughout their companies and asking their partners for guiding insights on how to best approach the customer.
"The dealers are continuously evolving their operations and processes to make each customer visit special and exceed expectations," Ms. Takahashi said.
"Pairing excellent customer service with quality luxury vehicles is just as important today as it was 25 years ago," she said.
Final Take
Joe McCarthy, staff reporter on Luxury Daily, New York