To tap into the cultural conversations surrounding semi-autonomous driving and the widespread anger over passing-lane drivers, we launched “Lane Valet,” an innovative technology that allows Lexus drivers to do lane hogs the courtesy of moving their vehicles for them with the press of a button. Then, to catch people when and where they’d least expect it, we broadcast the April Fools’ spot on TV–a first for any brand.

Because April 1 fell on a Saturday, we began a phased rollout early to maximize reach. On March 29, :15 teaser videos were released on Lexus social channels. The next day, Lexus issued an official press release and a :45 version of the spot launched on social channels. Additionally, paid search went into effect and a highly polished product page was launched on lexus.com that went into further detail about Lane Valet, with a prompt at the bottom of the page to learn about other (real) Lexus safety innovations. On March 31, an e-mail was sent to 10,000 LC handraisers. Finally, on April 1, to amplify the message and further cut through a bevy of online April Fools’ campaigns, Lexus broadcast the spot a dozen times on Comedy Central, SNL and during the Men’s Final Four basketball tournament–where it was viewed by more than 25 million unsuspecting people.

The final numbers proved it to be an overwhelming success for Lexus: 485MM+ PR impressions, 181 articles written and 30K visits to lexus.com. On the Lexus social channels, the video spread worldwide: Of the 72MM impressions, there were 10.5MM video views. And of those viewers, almost half (4.5MM) went on to like, share or comment. Not surprisingly, it’s now the most shared Facebook post in Lexus history. A few results that were surprising: It was referenced by a state senator to help pass legislation, Elon Musk was asked about it, and three media outlets, including a top online automotive site in the U.S., were so fooled by the execution that they requested more details.