Lexus Marketing Campaign at Canadian Airport Goes Horribly Wrong
Handicapped parking spots turn into ‘Lexus-only’ parking, unbeknownst to the automaker.
Lexus marketing has long been recognized as one of the more brilliant and innovative among all automakers. So it’s no surprise that the brand would jump at the chance to take on yet another interesting opportunity that might garner it some viral attention on social media. But this time, it wasn’t the kind of attention the luxury automaker was looking for.
The idea itself was simple enough. The Calgary Airport Authority in Alberta, Canada approached Lexus and offered them the opportunity to convert several parking spaces at the airport into “Lexus-only” parking. Lexus could paint their logo on the spots and hang up some signs. They received a little positive attention, and Lexus drivers got a nice perk upon arriving at the airport. Sounds like a win-win, right?
There was just one little problem. The five parking spaces converted to Lexus-only parking were previously reserved for the handicapped. And what happened next should surprise no one. A family who previously used the spots returned to the airport and discovered the change. They filed a complaint, and massive backlash ensued.
The automaker obviously bears the brunt of the blame here. But it wasn’t really their fault at all. Lexus Canada immediately apologized. But they also revealed that they weren’t aware that handicapped spots would be sacrificed for the campaign in a statement to CBC News. The Calgary Airport Authority followed up with an apology of their own, and said that Lexus “did not play a role in selecting, and was not aware of, the locations for the campaign.”
Clearly, somebody at the airport authority made one seriously boneheaded decision here. And unfortunately, once again, Lexus found themselves defending their reputation for something they knew nothing about. But we’re guessing they’ll be a little more involved in the planning process next time an opportunity like this pops up.
