Tag: Lexus

Lexus GS: NFC-Enabled Print Ad in WIRED

Lexus GS: NFC-Enabled Print Ad in WIRED

A print ad sits inside WIRED, but it behaves like a link. Hold an NFC-enabled phone (NFC is short for near-field communication) to the page and a Lexus GS demo opens on your device, without scanning a code or typing a URL.

Brands like Mercedes Benz, Reporters Without Borders, Volkswagen etc have all been working hard to create clutter breaking and engaging print ads.

In this latest example of an interactive print ad, WIRED magazine and Lexus have teamed up to create what they describe as the first mass-produced print ad embedded with an NFC tag. The ad, reported as appearing in 500,000 subscriber copies of WIRED’s April issue, lets readers with NFC-enabled phones access a demo of the Lexus GS 2013’s Enform App Suite simply by holding their phone up to the ad.

A tap replaces the scan

The mechanism is straightforward. An NFC tag is embedded into the page, and the phone reads it when placed close to the printed area. That single “tap” launches a mobile experience that can demonstrate features and apps without requiring camera alignment or extra steps. Because the tap collapses multiple steps into one, the handoff feels effortless.

In global publishing and automotive marketing, bridging print to mobile works best when the handoff is faster than habit, and simple enough to do without thinking.

Why this matters for print innovation

Most interactive print relies on behavior people already associate with effort, like scanning codes or typing. NFC flips that. The interaction feels like “just place phone here”, which is closer to natural curiosity than task completion.

Extractable takeaway: NFC works in print when it replaces effort with instinct. Design the handoff as a single tap that proves value immediately.

Definition-tightening: NFC tags in print are typically passive. The page is not powered. The phone provides the energy and reads a short payload that triggers a destination on the device.

What Lexus is really buying

This is a modern product story told through a legacy medium. The GS positioning leans into connected experiences, so demonstrating an app suite through a connected print interaction reinforces the message at the exact moment of discovery.

The real question is whether the tap reinforces the product promise at the moment of discovery.

Steal this pattern for interactive print

  • Design for one gesture. If it takes more than a tap, many readers will not try.
  • Reward instantly. The first screen after the tap should feel like a payoff, not a loading screen.
  • Make the print do real work. Print should provide context and desire. Mobile should provide depth and demonstration.
  • Plan for non-NFC readers. If the print idea relies on a capability not everyone has, ensure there is still a clear alternate path.

A few fast answers before you act

What makes this WIRED ad “interactive”?

The page contains an embedded NFC tag. Tapping an NFC-enabled phone to the ad launches a Lexus GS mobile demo experience.

Why use NFC instead of a QR code?

NFC removes the camera step. A tap is faster and tends to feel easier than scanning, which can increase participation.

Do you need a special app to use an NFC print ad?

Typically no. If NFC is enabled, the phone reads the tag and opens the linked mobile experience using standard system behavior.

What is the key benefit for the advertiser?

A lower-friction bridge from print attention to a measurable digital demo, without breaking the reading flow as aggressively as “go type this URL”.

What is the biggest execution risk?

Compatibility and clarity. If readers do not have NFC, or do not understand where to tap, the interaction collapses back into a normal print ad.

Lexus LFA: Scrollbroaaaar

Lexus LFA: Scrollbroaaaar

Saatchi & Saatchi Germany has created a clutter-breaking execution for the Lexus LFA on the Sport Auto website by turning a familiar interface element into the ad itself.

When the ad is the interface

The idea is disarmingly simple. Instead of fighting for attention inside a banner slot, the execution is described as a custom scrollbar experience on Sport Auto, shifting the user’s focus to the one thing everyone touches when they move through a long page.

How “Scrollbroaaaar” works

Mechanically, the work hijacks the expected behavior of scrolling and reframes it as a brand moment for a high-performance car. The name “Scrollbroaaaar” signals the point. Here, “Scrollbroaaaar” means the scrollbar itself becomes the branded ad unit. Scrolling becomes a sensory cue for speed and engine attitude, not just a way to navigate content.

In performance automotive marketing, using interface behavior as media can outperform traditional display formats because the user triggers the moment themselves.

The real question is whether you can turn a default UI habit into branded sensation without stealing time from the content.

Why it lands as clutter-breaking

This works because it does not ask for permission. It meets the user inside muscle memory. A scrollbar is invisible until it changes. The second it does, attention spikes. That moment of surprise is the whole value exchange.

Extractable takeaway: If you can attach your product truth to a UI habit the audience already performs, you get attention without demanding a click.

What the brand is really buying here

Beyond impressions, the intent is distinctiveness. Lexus gets a “did you see this” story that is native to the environment where car enthusiasts already browse. The experience also borrows the credibility of a specialist publisher context while keeping the brand in control of the punchline. This is a smarter bet than buying another standard display slot and hoping anyone notices.

What to steal for your own digital creative

  • Make the interaction the media. If a user action triggers the payoff, recall tends to be higher than passive formats.
  • Choose the smallest possible hack. One altered UI element can be more powerful than a page full of widgets.
  • Design for surprise, then exit fast. The novelty works best when it is immediate and does not overstay.
  • Match the mechanic to the product truth. Speed, sound, and control cues belong to a halo performance car.

A few fast answers before you act

What is “Scrollbroaaaar” in one line?

A web takeover that turns the page’s scrollbar into the ad, so scrolling itself becomes the Lexus LFA moment.

Why is it considered clutter-breaking?

Because it bypasses banner blindness by changing a core interface behavior users already rely on, creating instant surprise and attention.

What is the main creative principle behind it?

The principle is viewer control. The user’s action triggers the brand payoff instead of asking them to click away from what they came to do.

When should you use this pattern?

When you have a simple product truth that can be expressed through a single behavior change, and you want memorability more than message density.

What is the biggest risk with interface-as-ad?

If the mechanic slows the page, breaks expected controls, or feels like it traps the user, the surprise turns into frustration and the brand pays for it.