Did You Know? These Global Lexus Ads Were Shot In The Philippines

When multinational car brands serving a global market create their product presentations or advertisements, it’s often shot in places in Europe or North America. Even German luxury brands–despite the localization of their cars in the videos such as the use of German license plates, often use cities like Los Angeles as shooting locations. The Philippines also isn’t a usual choice for automakers, but in the case of Lexus, did you know that these two ads were actually shot in our own backyard?

Lexus recently shot two global ad campaigns for their vehicles. The first video is titled “At Home In The NX”, which highlights how the Lexus NX is a “personal space for you and your loved ones”. By “loved ones, they also meant pets and strays. One night, a stray cat enters through the window of the NX, with the owner of the vehicle surprised by the presence of the feline.

The following morning, the cat once again manages to find its way inside the NX, and after a while, the NX owner decides to keep the feline altogether. He even keeps the cat toasty with the NX’s heated seats and then he buys the cat food afterward. Towards the end of the ad, the owner comes back to the NX, this time with a new dog and a new leash for the cat.

The second global ad campaign is about how Lexus SUVs are “A Magnet For Adventure”. The video starts off with shots of a kayak floating in mid-air and a bike trying to break free from the chains holding it. As the Lexus LX passes through a street, the cooler in the basketball court then gets shoved away from the woman who gets caught off guard by what’s happening. Afterward, a guy then starts floating in mid-air and together with the kayak, the bike, and the cooler, all of these items head toward the Lexus NX and LX as if they were attracted to it like magnets.

From driving through city streets, the NX and LX now transition to driving through a beautiful jungle with a picturesque mountain view at the end of the rugged trail, and with all of those items now attached to the roof of the two luxury SUVs. Oh, and did you know that this nature shot was shot in Tanay, Rizal, while all of the urban shots of the two global ads were shot in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig?

Look carefully at the city footage of the two ad campaigns. Those who live in or regularly visit BGC will notice its distinct street signs as well as a few buildings that are familiar to those living or visiting the city. such as the blue high-rise building called W Fifth Avenue, as well as a few sections of the Globe Tower.

The Japanese luxury automaker did not explicitly say or market the fact that these ads were shot in the Philippines, but my curiosity still led me to ask the Lexus Philippines team. Indeed, these global ads were commissioned and shot in our country by Lexus International. It’s rare for a global brand to have its global ads shot in our country. It just highlights that amid the traffic and chaos that Manila is infamous for, there’s still beauty that’s worth exploring–and it was literally worth a shot for Lexus.