Lexus IS500
ReImaged
Creative Director | Editor | Story Developer
As part of a professional editing course in TV and Film Production, I was tasked with reimagining a previously released commercial. I chose the Lexus IS 500—a vehicle I personally own and love—to redesign the campaign with a fresh storyline, new music, and a tone more reflective of the real experience behind the wheel. The assignment was to bring technical editing, audio engineering, and storytelling together into a fully re-edited, emotionally engaging commercial.
ReImagined Commerical
This wasn’t just a class assignment—it was a passion project. I set out to communicate what it feels like to drive this luxury sport sedan: powerful, sleek, refined, and thrilling. Creative direction focused on:
Honoring the brand’s legacy of elegance and performance
Replacing the original audio with custom sound design and new music, inspired by Adidas’ cinematic ad style
Rebuilding the narrative to show the dual nature of the Lexus IS 500, smooth and composed one moment, pulse-pounding the next
Using my firsthand experience as a Lexus owner to shape a visually rich, emotionally grounded story
Original Commerical
This is Lexus Original Cut of the commercial. I ensured to keep the integrity of each image as I created a commercial based on my personal experience with the IS 500.
Creative Brief
Approach
This wasn’t just a class assignment—it was a passion project. I set out to communicate what it feels like to drive this luxury sport sedan: powerful, sleek, refined, and thrilling. Creative direction focused on:
Honoring the brand’s legacy of elegance and performance
Replacing the original audio with custom sound design and new music, inspired by Adidas’ cinematic ad style
Rebuilding the narrative to show the dual nature of the Lexus IS 500, smooth and composed one moment, pulse-pounding the next
Using my firsthand experience as a Lexus owner to shape a visually rich, emotionally grounded story
Obstacles & Challenges
The greatest challenge was replacing the original music and dialogue while preserving the natural engine sounds and dynamic ambiance.
I collaborated with peers and post-production experts to help overcome the audio layering difficulties, ensuring seamless transitions between new voiceovers, ambient noise, and the V8’s engine rumble.
Maintaining brand integrity while transforming an existing piece required careful editing, tonal awareness, and technical precision.
Results
Final video was presented on Vimeo to instructors and classmates, receiving overwhelming praise for its cinematic tone, strategic pacing, and emotional impact—even from non-car enthusiasts.
Multiple viewers expressed excitement and curiosity about the Lexus IS, highlighting the effectiveness of the ad’s mood and message.
The success of this project inspired me to pursue visual campaign work for real-world brands and opened doors to other storytelling experiments in automotive and commercial content.
Art Direction Highlights
Developed the storyline and creative arc from scratch, balancing performance and luxury.
Executed audio direction, pacing, and emotional beats to match the duality of the car—refined yet fierce.
Injected the piece with authentic experience as a Lexus owner, making the visual storytelling personal and immersive.
Stood out for transforming a branded commercial into something deeply experiential and emotionally compelling.
Tools & Software Used
