Comments on: Lexus watermelon juice?

Question: Lexus watermelon juice?

ohio — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 06:55:26 -0800

On the NYT.com front page this morning, there is an advertisement for a hybrid Lexus SUV. It's just a picture of the SUV that says "look at the new Lexus" or something, but at the bottom near the rear wheel there is a watermelon. Why is there a watermelon?

By: barnone

barnone — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 06:59:13 -0800

If you reload to see that same ad a few times, you'll see that that particular ad starts off with a tiny ant carrying the watermelon across the screen. The words, "Unexpected Power" are above the little ant...

By: Lord_Pall

Lord_Pall — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:00:00 -0800

The ad starts with an ant carrying a watermelon with the tagline "Unexpected Power".
It then cuts to the car, and the ant carries the watermelon over to the rear wheel where it collapses due to watermelon based exhaustion.

Reload the ad to see the whole thing.

By: barnone

barnone — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:02:29 -0800

Sorry, I hit post too early. So, basically the ant carrying the watermelon at the end is referring to the ant at the beginning -- and how the hybrid has more strength than you'd expect.

Unfortunately, whenever I think of "carrying the watermelons" I can only think of Baby in Dirty Dancing going into that party for the first time. She was never quite the same afterwards!

By: ohio

ohio — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:11:57 -0800

Ah, thanks. It never even occured to me that the ad was animated. I just saw the car and the watermelon and I was mightily confused.

By: Malor

Malor — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:16:15 -0800

They're probably playing off the fact that hybrids have enormous torque; most of them accelerate like jackrabbits. Americans usually buy on horsepower, and drive based on torque. This is completely stupid, but, hey, it's America.

I think they're indirectly trying to teach people that the lower horsepower ratings on hybrids don't mean that they're less powerful. Horsepower maintains high speeds; torque gets you to the high speeds quickly.

Pretty clever way to sell it.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 07:45:10 -0800

Why is there a watermelon?

I'll explain later.