Lexus and Ryan Leslie (pictured) formed a ‘strategic alliance’ that launched during the BET Honors award ceremony in D.C. over the weekend, where Leslie performed. The automaker is taking a break from the strenuous work of traditional white-folk advertising to market to African Americans, through social media. Twitter and Facebook will serve as the driving force behind the conversation, says a release.
The campaign marks a departure from the traditional for Lexus, as you can see from the release they sent: “This African American marketing program with Ryan Leslie represents a break from the traditional for Lexus, as the innovative use of social/digital media tools such as Twitter and Facebook will serve as the driving force behind the conversation.”
Though what they probably meant to say was that the social media aspect of this “marks a departure from the traditional for Lexus” it’s very easy to read that as “we don’t usually advertise to black people”.
Update: Lexus has worked with a lot of artists, like Alicia Keys and Keri Hilson and Holly Robinson Peete.