How Lexus' tech partner Mirriad reaches multicultural customers in new ways

Tech firm Mirriad's virtual product placement technology is helping Lexus reach multicultural consumers in the U.S. via digital channels.

May 06, 2023 12:00 AM

Lexus uses digital product placement and features artists such as Indian singer Mickey Singh, right, in nontraditional spots targeting diverse audiences.

Product placement in mainstream film and TV to raise brand awareness has been a common practice in auto marketing for quite some time: The Audi R8 in Iron Man, the Chevrolet Camaro in The Transformers movies, the Hyundai Tucson in "The Walking Dead" TV series and so on.

Whether the placements are subtle or in-your-face in the eyes of consumers, they have been a relied-upon part of auto brands' marketing mix, particularly in their efforts to reach audiences who pay little attention to TV or print advertising.

Lexus, which has done placements of its LC 500 sports car and RZ 450e electric vehicle in the Black Panther movies, is harnessing technology to reach multicultural audiences through nontraditional digital channels.

McQueen: Lexus comes to K-pop.

The luxury brand struck a partnership in 2019 with Mirriad, a company that uses artificial intelligence and computer vision technology to virtually insert Lexus' products in multicultural TV shows, movies, music videos, sporting events and other media targeted at U.S. viewers.

"We've had several exciting new launches in the past two years where we've been able to work together with Mirriad," Lisa McQueen, media manager at Lexus, told Automotive News.

She said that the Lexus brand, its signage and vehicles have been virtually inserted in K-pop — the South Korean music genre that has grown in popularity in the U.S. — plus soccer matches, Korean and Chinese TV dramas, and Hispanic and LGBTQIA+ music videos. Many of the programs and videos are viewed on digital streaming platforms, not TV.

Besides using Mirriad's technology, Lexus can also capitalize on its partner's relationships with various media entities.

"We have the opportunity to build relevance among younger shoppers who are racially and ethnically more diverse than previous generations," McQueen said.

A spot with Puerto Rican singer Kany Garcia and a virtual billboard for the Lexus NX has 12 million YouTube views.

Maria Teresa Hernandez, Mirriad's senior vice president of brand partnerships, leads the company's In-Content Multicultural Marketplace, which creates inventory for Black, Hispanic, Asian American, Pacific Islander and LGBTQIA+ owned and led media. Among its clients are Univision, BET+, Sony Channel, Def Jam Recordings and Ebony magazine.

"I joined [Mirriad] four years ago with the idea of evangelizing this cool technology," Hernandez said.

"I realized early on how much of a game changer this technology is for industry, but even more so, as a woman of color myself as a Latina. Immediately I'm realizing, wait a second, we're creating revenue streams for content owners. We can do something special for the diverse media community by really prioritizing, unlocking supply partners within that space."

With Mirriad's help, Lexus has received millions of views through music videos. A few examples:

In "Nachle 101," performed in Punjabi by Indian singer Mickey Singh, a 3D model of the Lexus LX large crossover and a virtual billboard appear in the background. The spot has 6.8 million YouTube views.
In "Hauli Hauli," performed in Punjabi by Indian-Canadian singer Jonita Gandhi, the Lexus logo is displayed on a TV mounted over a fireplace at a home gathering. The spot has 7.8 million YouTube views.
In "Agüita e Coco," performed in Spanish by Puerto Rican singer Kany Garcia, a virtual billboard for the Lexus NX compact crossover appears on a building in the background. The spot has 12 million YouTube views.
In "Ojalá," a Spanish-language collaboration by Colombian duo the Rudeboyz, Colombian singer Maluma and American singer Adam Levine, a Lexus RX is driven past a virtual billboard for the midsize crossover. The spot has 10 million YouTube views.

One advantage of virtual product placement is not needing to cover the cost of shipping vehicles to a shoot — or even set aside vehicles from inventory. Mirriad's technology offers a creative solution for working around the historic vehicle inventory issues resulting from COVID-19-related production interruptions and the global microchip shortage that have pressured the auto industry since 2020. Lexus parent company Toyota Motor Corp. has had challenges producing enough vehicles to keep up with high consumer demand.

Lexus and its creative partner Mirriad have virtually inserted the brand, its signage and vehicles into advertising at soccer matches and cultural events.

In the Singh video, for example, Hernandez said Mirriad was able to work with the artist to film his music video while leaving space open for the auto to be inserted digitally. "So at the beginning of the music video, it opens up with the artist walking down the streets and he stops for a minute. Not only do we place the LX right there in the scene, but we threw in a billboard with it," she said.

What kind of results is Lexus seeing?

McQueen said Mirriad provides Lexus a brand lift study with each project. Lexus has experienced increases in awareness, message association, consideration/intent and brand appeal, she said. In addition, 78 percent of respondents said they like the format, vs. 12 percent for traditional media, while 80 percent said the format is innovative.

"I think Mirriad has a really good understanding of our target customer, our multicultural priority targets," said McQueen. "We've been longtime partners, and we'll continue to explore new opportunities together."