Lexus shoots self in foot

Could Vectras really be mistaken for Lexi?

By PH Staff / Thursday, 16 December 2004 / Loading comments

Lexus believes that its cars, aimed at the Benz-style luxo-barge market, might be mistaken for Vauxhall Vectras.

Lexus objected to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about a national press advertisement for the Vectra. The advertisement was headed "The strong silent type" and featured a photograph of a silver Vauxhall Vectra. Lexus reckoned it had a similar heading in its ad, which also featured a photo of a similarly coloured car, taken from the same angle. Lexus objected that Vauxhall's ad so closely resembled its own that "it was likely to cause confusion in the marketplace."

Vauxhall's riposte was that the creative brief and decision to run the campaign were made before the Lexus ad first appeared. It said it "closely monitored competitor advertisements for models in the same market segment". Vauxhall further argued that:

The Lexus was not a competitor of the Vauxhall Vectra. The Lexus was a luxury, large executive saloon and the Vauxhall Vectra was a medium-sized family hatchback, saloon or estate
The Lexus cost more than the Vauxhall vehicle and Lexus advertisements appeared in publications in the business and financial arena.
It had featured a silver car because it was generally recognised as the most flattering colour and they had used that particular angle because it was a well-established and popular one
The Vauxhall logo and brand name were prominently displayed in the advertisement, readers would not be misled.

You have to conclude either that Lexus' complaint says something about the insecurity of Lexus, or that the Vectra has come a long way...

The ASA didn't uphold the complaint.