Industry

Automobile

Client

Lexus

The first interactive movie as a car ad

As Associate Creative Director, I helped Lexus launch the CT200h with a groundbreaking two-part campaign—an interactive film and celebrity talk show—that redefined what a digital car launch could be.

To reach a younger, digitally savvy U.S. audience, we created Darkride—a two-phase campaign built around immersive storytelling and cultural cachet. The centerpiece was an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure-style action film starring Norman Reedus, followed by Darkcasting, an in-car talk show hosted by Whitney Cummings. Together, they turned the product launch into a hybrid of Hollywood experience and smart brand engagement—months before the car even hit dealerships.

Dazzle Logo Creation
Dazzle Logo Creation
Dazzle Logo Creation

Problem

Lexus needed to stand out in a crowded hybrid market—and win over a younger generation of drivers.

The U.S. hybrid segment was saturated, and Lexus wanted to reposition itself for a younger, tech-first audience who were immune to traditional car ads. MPG stats and showroom shots wouldn’t cut it. Our challenge was to build anticipation for the Lexus CT200h before launch, and make it feel exciting, personal, and culturally relevant to a digital-native crowd.

Solution

We created the world’s first cinematic virtual test drive—then launched an influencer talk show from inside the car.

We created a never-done-before virtual test drive so that consumers could experience the car months before it was available at dealerships. In the interactive action movie Darkride, viewers got to insert themselves into the film as the protagonist riding shotgun and guiding the driver (played by actor Norman Reedus) through a series of adventures in the Nevada desert and Los Angeles. Consumers could use an array of interactive features, allowing them to insert their own face into the film, record their own dialogue lines, control the camera movement in a 260-degree POV, and make decisions that alter the path of the movie so new situations arise each time. In a second step, we released the in-car talk show Darkcasting hosted by famous comedian Whitney Cummings and guests like Rosario Dawson and Christina Perri, combining content marketing, influencer marketing and local market activation as a way to recruit more fans and help turn the car into the best selling hybrid in America. We created exclusive video content, trailers, and influencer clips for YouTube and social media, as well as paid traffic via social, display, native ads, and outdoor guerilla activations in urban centers. We also ran PR initiatives that secured coverage in NYT, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Cool Hunter, Creativity Mag, Adcritic and more.

Result

Darkride became a landmark in branded entertainment—breaking records and setting new creative standards.


  • Achieved record-breaking site traffic and sign-ups

  • Generated the highest number of handraisers in Lexus history

  • Contributed to CT200h becoming the best-selling hybrid in the U.S.

  • Won FWA People’s Choice Site of the Year + Jury’s Site of the Month

  • Shortlisted at Cannes Lions for Best Interactive Film

  • Ranked #1 on Adcritic for multiple weeks

  • Widely praised by press: New York Times, Variety, Creativity, Cool Hunter, Wall Street Journal

  • Cited as a pioneering example of interactive brand storytelling in automotive marketing