Many of the things we communicate about ourselves aren’t with words. We’re constantly sending signals through our personal style, our body language, and, yes, the car we drive. We wanted to amplify that idea by creating a car that could send signals on its own. We covered the Lexus IS with 41,999 LEDs – turning it into a screen and its own platform for expression.

This year, Lexus wanted to be more than just the official partner of Fashion Week. We wanted to be an active participant. And we wanted to give the kind of runway access typically reserved for the elite to the masses in a way no one had experienced before. So we turned the Lexus LIT IS into its own installation in one of New York’s busiest destinations, partnered with three renowned designers and debuted looks straight from their runway shows on the surface of the car.

The Lexus LIT IS was created by applying a half-mile of LEDs strips to the surface of the car, effectively turning the car into a screen. Through custom applications, the individually addressable LEDs could then be programmed to display different visuals. We worked directly with designers Jeremy Scott, Nicole Miller and TOME to get sneak previews of the looks they planned to reveal at Fashion Week. We then took those 2D patterns and created 3D animations that fit the shape of the car. So, for example, the butterfly patterns in Jeremy Scott’s collection became dynamic and took flight on the hood and sides of the car. We built a large-scale display that included a screen behind the car. While the runway shows played on the screen, the complementary designs ran across the surface of the car.

The installation was up for two days in Grand Central Terminal. During that time, we amassed nearly 900,000 live impressions, 132M PR impressions and 39.2M social impressions, and we made headlines all over the world. We increased awareness of Lexus as the official sponsor of New York Fashion Week. The car itself became a fashion plate that our screen-obsessed target wanted to interact with, talk about and post photos of. The Lexus LIT IS became a part of the conversation surrounding one of the most buzzed-about global fashion events.

For the overall campaign, a Millward Brown study for the campaign showed that LIT IS aided awareness of the Lexus IS by 10%. Brand favorability rose 8%. And most importantly, IS sales rose and accounted for 10.5% of all sales in that segment, an increase of 3%.

New York Fashion Week runway shows are typically reserved for the fashion elite. The Lexus LIT IS installation in Grand Central Terminal gave that first-to-see access to the masses in a way no one had experienced before – on the surface of a car. Using the car as the medium of communication itself allowed crowds to interact directly with the car and its design, while also previewing looks straight from three top runway shows.

Our target, up-and-coming luxury buyers, are in the process of building their personal brand and invest in products that add to the personal narrative they’re curating and sharing with the world. They celebrate uniqueness and individuality, and they want bold products that make a statement. These ‘statement pieces’ can be a cool watch, a fantastic bag or even a new luxury vehicle. Known for its bold styling, the Lexus IS is a strong statement piece. Aligning with three well-known designers and New York Fashion Week – one of the world’s most high-profile stages for new trends – reinforced our connection to high design. Using the car as the medium of communication itself allowed the crowds in Grand Central Terminal to interact directly with the car and its design. And being among the first to see new runway looks gave our audience the kind of cultural capital they crave.

Lexus is renowned for safety, reliability and luxury. But to attract new, younger car shoppers, those aren’t the sexiest selling points. The Lexus IS is the gateway car into Lexus luxury. It’s a sporty sedan that is fun to drive, but appeals to the younger set more for its design aesthetic. We wanted to really play that up in way that made Lexus fresh, relevant and most importantly, captivating to our audience. Lexus is the official sponsor of New York Fashion Week. This year, we wanted to create more awareness of that partnership, while also drawing attention to the design of the Lexus IS during the buzz of the week.