November 16, 2016
Lexus Sriracha IS custom model
Toyota Corp.’s Lexus is spicing things up for The Los Angeles Auto Show Nov. 18-27 through a partnership with an unexpected consumer packaged good.
To present itself as “bolder, spicier” than its fellow automakers on view at The Los Angeles Auto Show, Lexus has created custom version of its 2017 Lexus IS sports sedan with Huy Fong Foods’ beloved chili sauce, Sriracha. To bring the customization concept to life, Lexus commissioned West Coast Customs to make the vehicle’s details “even hotter.”
Too hot to handle
No detail was spared in the creation of the Lexus Sriracha IS model.
The vehicle includes an official Sriracha paint job that resulted in a red color, complete with flecks of chili-like flakes, meant to resemble the sauce inside its bottle. Experimenting even included adding Sriracha sauce to the paint.
Lexus Sriracha IS model
Sriracha Green accents, inspired by the sauce cap, are a signature element of the vehicle and used for the outline of the spindle grille, interior cabin mood lighting, side view mirror and seat stitching.
Inside the vehicle is a “Sriracha-injected” steering wheel cast in red resin with a “hot handling” warning label, Sriracha temperature settings such as seat warmers labeled from cool to Sriracha hot.
Additional features include handcrafted plush seats with the Huy Fong rooster logo embroidered along with the Sriracha IS logo and green piping accents. The vehicle also includes custom badging on the side, rear and door wells.
Rounding out the custom collaboration is a trunk stocked with 43 bottles of Sriracha for “emergency condiment situations.”
Lexus Sriracha IS' emergency supply of Sriracha
“The new Lexus IS is so hot, we decided to make it Sriracha hot, with all the custom details every Sriracha fan will appreciate,” said Brian Smith, vice president of marketing at Lexus.
David Tran, CEO and founder of Huy Fong Foods, echoed Mr. Smith’s statement, saying, “I feel so humbled to see my Lexus and Sriracha friends’ love for my hot sauce. The Lexus Sriracha IS is really the perfect mix for a ‘hot’ and ‘spicy car’ -- just the way I like it.”
Lexus has also produced a promotional video for the Sriracha IS model. The film juxtaposes clips from Huy Fong Foods’ plant where Sriracha is made to ways to use the chili sauce and details of the custom model.
Certain scenes shows parts of the Sriracha IS moving down the Huy Fong Foods production line. Others show, Lexus employees kissing the model only to find out how hot it is.
Sriracha In Everything – The Hottest Lexus IS Ever
Teaming with a beloved consumer packaged good or toy is a common occurrence, as it bridges the generational and wealth cap to appeal to a larger audience.
For instance, Italian apparel and accessories label Moschino teamed up with Mattel’s Barbie to launch a high-fashion edition of the beloved doll.
To launch the Moschino Barbie doll and the accompanying eight-piece capsule collection, the brand created a retro commercial, in which school-age children profess their adoration for the toy. This feeling of whimsy likely resonated with consumers who played with Barbie themselves in their youth, causing demand and interest in the collectible (see story).
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