Lexus CT200H proves it’s a beautiful contradiction in a new spot created by Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney
A new spot for Lexus via Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney directed by Matt Murphy fromGoodoil Films.
The spot focuses on the car’s unique handling features – it’s ‘Sport’ and ‘Eco Hybrid’ modes, demonstrating its talents on a moving platform set against a dramatic coastal headland.
How was it done? Fuel VFX said Murphy brought a pre-viz animatic to them demonstrating the mood he wanted to create – assertiveness, speed and power when the car is in its ‘Sport’ mode,and gracefulness, ease and tranquility when it’s in ‘Economy’.
The team at Fuel added to this with a story-reel to help determine how many shots would require the usage of a full CG version of the car. Built in Maya and rendered withMaxwell, our artists were able to replicate the Lexus with photoreal accuracyto ensure a seamless transition between shots of the real Lexus, and thoseshots that required a CG version.
The car was filmed on a static platform which had a small amount of textured surface andwas subsequently recreated for the moving CG gimble. The headland was scannedduring a helicopter shoot and recreated in 3D in order to give the artistsflexibility during the complex edit.
A lot of care was taken to ensure that the moving car tracked seamlessly with the moving CG platform and against the sky and seas. It was essential that the balance between the original pre-viz and final output was right, so several edits were done to ensure that the mood, story arc and realism reflected what Murphy wanted to achieve.
VFX Supervisor Andrew Hellen: “A lot of attention was paid to the edit and we worked closely with Murphy and Bernard Garry to keep it live through our production schedule. We continually fed them shots to help find the right balance between the Sports mode where the car moves dynamically, fighting to gain control of the platform, then finding a moment when the car slows the platform for a beat to switch to Eco and the Lexus gracefully gains control,levelling the platform for the final few shots.”
CREDITS
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ExecutiveCreative Director – Steve Back
CreativeDirector – Steve Jackson
Copywriter -John Mcelvey
Art Director- Pete Galmes
Art Director- Simon Cox
AgencyProducer – Llew Griffiths
AccountDirector – Emma Belcher
ProductionCompany: GoodOil Films
Director:Matt Murphy
Prod CoProducer: Ben Scandrett-Smith
DOP: SusanStitt
Editor:Bernard Garry, The Editors
Sound Design:Simon Kane, Songzu
Post Production: Fuel VFX
VFXSupervisor: Andrew Hellen
ExecutiveProducer: Celia Nicholas
Producer:Erica Ford
39 Comments
Just another car ad.
Sorry to be contradictory, but what the…?
Sorry Saatchi’s, but this ad is retarded.
Saw these cars in the celeb race at the GP. As boring as the ad.
Why is it a beautiful contradiction?
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I always have problems with ads like that. If it was done for real it would be fairly scary and interesting to watch, it might say something also about the company’s belief in its car etc.
As we all know however, even Joe Public, it’s all done with the magic lantern.
So it’s a demonstration of advanced computer jiggery pokery rather than a demo of the car.
That means it becomes boring. It’s one step away from being a cartoon. Like if the melting saucepan ad had been cgi – it would have meant nowt.
I prefer the other spot with the Glass Organs.
Love it… beautifully short, shows the car off well and makes the handling look amazing… different in a plethora of samey, rock video car ads. Simple considered and captivating
I don’t get it.
I have no idea what that was about….and you can smell the CGI from a mile away.
1/10
much better than Glass Ordinary corporate video
I don’t get it either.
‘Glass Ordinary corporate Video’???
I would love to see your reel 10:36. I REALLY WOULD!!!!
Absolutely pointless.
It might have stayed on the twisty metal pad thing, but Lexus has just dropped off my lotto list.
Love you Emma
Not sure I get this
I wouldn’t mind a slither of whatever the massive budget was for this atrocity to make some half decent
Man pushes a button in his car and drives fast.
Man presses the same button again and drives slower.
Line comes up saying ‘It’s a beautiful contradiction’.
In my car it’s called an accelerator.
the better contradiction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3GHYPUiNwg&feature=related
All art decoration with no idea. So bad, especially after the glass blowing idea.
I also fail to see the contradiction brought to life or explained in this spot.
I don’t get it either. its an interesting visual idea, but falls flat.
The glass blowing idea was good, but pointless becuase they didn’t crash the car.
This ad… pfft.
Many years ago in the UK, Citroen did an ad where one of its cars drove towards the edge of a cliff with one wheel missing. Now that was scary.
I don’t think CGI had even been invented then.
It doesn’t seem to be on YouTube, unfortunately.
So there you have it, Saatchi’s boys. We’re all well above average intelligence, all highly ad literate and yet nobody gets it. What hope have the punters – ie: car buyers got? Perhaps an explanatory leaflet could be provided.
11.58, It’s sliver, knucklehead.
Can someone from Saatchi’s stop posting on the Glass Organs spot and get on here and explain to me what this ad is all about? It looks like I’m not the only one who doesn’t get it.
Just like the car, looks like the ad is Toyota inspired too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zid1SCA0sE8
Contrary to the headline I don’t think Lexus have proven anything but for the fact that marketers in Caringbah seem to go for ads with CGI cars on rotating platform thingies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJa3wjD7hSk
My father in law the farmer, who never speaks a word, when he saw this mumbled something along the lines of “Gee that’s a bit dangerous isn’t” But i’m here to tell you he’s not buying a Lexus any time soon.
So I like it on the pure fact that I like CG.
But I wish more people start using CG as a tool not as a concept.
3:39, at least the Toyota spot makes sense and demonstrates the capabilities of the vehicle. WTF does this Lexus spot demonstrate?
A demonstration ad has to be a real demonstration, not a demonstration of special effects.
There were ads in the 80s where they had cars going at full pelt and shot out the tyres – really shot them out. That showed you something relevant and real. This doesn’t.
3:22 – no, i’m pretty sure it’s slither…
Could have had some energy – but all a bit boringly done.
12:08 – no, it’s sliver.
@11.52 and 3.22
Let’s get the language working for us here. How about something like:
“I wish a sliver of their massive budget would slither my way…”
More like “I wish a slither of their massive budget would sliver my way…”