Even BMW Is Now Making Fun of Lexus's 'Big Red Bow' Holiday Ads

If you’re sick of those sappy yet iconic Lexus holiday ads with the big red bows, here’s a good-natured parody from rival BMW of America that takes the trope in an unexpected direction.

Goodby Silverstein & Partners and RSA director Jonny Mass created a spoof set at a family gathering. Pop-Pop’s plenty stoked to see the whole gang together again. But his seasonal joy shifts into overdrive thanks to the random trajectory of a dislodged house decoration:

Ha ha! Gramps will be miffed when he learns that snazzy BMW isn’t a gift, just the resting place for a red bow blown down by the wind. Ah well, a tie is nice, too. Maybe someone brought a fruit cake.

“The holidays are a fun time of year, so we wanted to have a little fun with our annual ‘Road Home’ sales spot this by celebrating the spirit of the season with a lighthearted interpretation of the typical holiday car commercial,” says BMW VP of marketing Marcus Casey.

Of course, the Lexus “December to Remember” bow has been lampooned before. This SNL skit is pretty amusing. BMW’s spot is subtler, befitting an actual ad, and it scores by invoking a beloved/despised meme without seeming snarky. (Well, maybe a little.)

“The cast took the awkward moment scene to so many places with ad libs that had the crew in stitches,” recalls GS&P ACD Clemens Zlami. “The only bad actor was the bow, to be honest. It was surprisingly difficult to have the bow land on the correct spot. However, when the shoot was over, everyone wanted to take the bow—and the cars—home!”

The BMW commercial broke last week and will run on TV and online, notably during Fox’s World Cup coverage. Muse reached out to Lexus, where a rep took the high road and politely declined to comment. 

CREDITS

Ad Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Client: BMW North America
Title of Creative Work: Big Red Bow

BMW
President and CEO, BMW of North America: Sebastian Mackensen
VP, Marketing: Marcus Casey
Head of Brand Strategy & Communications: Albi Pagenstert
Media & Communications Manager: Lisa Judge
Corporate Communications Spokesperson: Phil Dilanni
Retail & CPO Marketing Manager: Lauren Martens
National Media Specialist: Zach Ambrosino
National Marketing Specialist: Jamie Pritchard 
Senior Retail Marketing Specialist: Mike Fillare
Media Specialist: Timothy Sumter

Creative
Co-Chairman and Co-Founder: Rich Silverstein
Partner, Chief Creative Officer: Margaret Johnson
Executive Creative Directors: Matt Edwards and Wes Phelan
Associate Creative Directors: Kevin Leung and Clemens Zlami
Art Director: Guillermo Aliaga Pueyrredon
Copywriter: Belen Russomanno

Account Services
Managing Partner: Leslie Barrett
Group Account Director: Tom Powers
Account Manager: Ali Bentin
Assistant Account Manager: Susie Juarez

Brand and Communication Strategy
Partner, Head of Brand Strategy: Bonnie Wan
Group Brand Strategy Director: Stephanie Phillips
Brand Strategy Director: Kevin DeStefan, Lucas Goodbody
Partner, Head of Communication Strategy: Christine Chen 
Group Communication Strategy Director: Dong Kim
Deputy Director of Research Strategy: Jane Warren
Junior Research Strategist: Whitney Thomas
Director of PR: Meredith Vellines

Production
Head of Production: Jim Haight
Executive Producer: Matt Flaker
Producer: Jennifer de Leon
Producer: Daniel Chang
Director of Graphic Services: Jim King

Business Affairs
Head of Business Affairs: Judy Ybarra
Senior Business Affairs Manager: Heidi Killeen
Broadcast Traffic Director: Ruchele Eisenman
Senior Broadcast Traffic Manager: Edgar Ornelas

Production Company
Company Name: RSA Films
Production Company City: Los Angeles
Director: Jonny Mass
President: Luke Ricci
Executive Producer: Buddy Brakha
Head of Production: Carolyn Pedrossian
Producer: Jon Dawes
Director of Photography: Pete Konzcal
Print Photographer: Saam Gabbay
Print Assistant Photographer: Sebastian Keefe

Editorial Company
Company Name: Uppercut Editorial
Editing Company City: New York
Editor: Joaquin Machado
Assistant Editor: Allen Rounsley
Head of Production: Jared Thomas

Audio and Sound Design Company
Music Production: Racket Club
Music Company City: New York
Creative Director: Justin Hori
Creative Producer: Adrian Womack
Associate Producer: Becky Mathai

Company name: Sonic Union
Sound Design Company City: New York
Sound Designer/Mix Engineer: Steve Rosen
Audio Post Studio Director: Justine Cortale 

VFX Company
Company: The Mill
Shoot Supervisor: John Leonti
Executive Producer: Hillary Thomas 
Creative Director: Alexander Candlish 
Producer: Kim Downing
VFX Artists: Abigail Riegel and Kevin Diaz
Colorist: Paul Yacono
Senior Producer: Denise Brown
Senior Color Assistant: Gemma Parr
Color Assistant: Jacob Suffern