Lexus Hoverboard Video Analysis

 

Skater Ross McGouran riding hoverboard over 2016 Lexus GS F

So the internet is going crazy over a video clip starring Lexus's working hoverboard, that just so happens to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the film Back to the Future.  Of course Marty McFly is going to arrive in 2015 in a little more than two months, and people will be asking where the hoverboards are that were depicted in Back to the Future Part II.  Unfortunately, there will not be any commercial market hoverboards ready by October 21, 2015, but Lexus has succeeded in creating the next closest thing to what appeared in the movie.  

Lexus's hoverboard is constructed from an insulated core, containing high temperature superconducting blocks. These are housed in cryostats, reservoirs of liquid nitrogen that cool the superconductors to -197°C. The board is then placed above a track containing permanent magnets.  When the board is cooled to its operating temperature, the track’s magnetic flux lines are set into place, maintaining the hover height of the board.  The skate park shown in the video was specially constructed using these tracks to support the hoverboard.  Without the necessary tracks, the hoverboard wouldn't work.

Making a surprise cameo in this video is the upcoming Lexus GS F, a rear wheel drive V8 sedan that follows in the footsteps of the smaller, last generation IS F.  The GS F debuted at the 2015 Detroit auto show.  Packing a 5.0 liter V8 shared with the RC F, the GS F makes 467 horsepower.  Respectable, but not in the same league as, say, the 641-hp Cadillac CTS-V and the 575-hp BMW M5.  Instead, the GS F lines up closer to lesser versions of those cars: the CTS VSport and the 550i M Sport, not to mention the Audi S6.  That fact aside, the GS F should be a good car.  However, price will go a long way in determining its success.  Priced at the same level or lower than its competition, the car should do well.  Priced at the same level as more powerful cars, customers will find it harder to justify.  Purchases would be made on the novelty of having something different, or if someone absolutely craves the Lexus badge, or values Lexus reliability.  Lexus has just recently been announced as Consumer Reports 2015 best car brand in terms of reliability. 

Lexus also hopes that creative marketing campaigns, such as this hoverboard video, will bring in new customers.  As a graduate of a Communication Arts college program, I took multiple classes in marketing and public relations.  I would say that this video is successful in creating positive buzz for the company.  First of all, and probably most obvious, there's a working hoverboard.  The hype alone that generates is enough to consume social media and the Internet.  Lexus's support of the project puts the company at the forefront of technology and shows that it wants to be considered a technological pioneer, not just in flights of fancy like this, but also in its cars. 

Overall, this video communicates a youthful image that goes against that associated with the traditional older demographic of Lexus car buyers.  The skate park is clean and modern, and the people in the video range in age from late 20s to early 30s.  Drones zip around adding to the future tech feel of the entire video.  I like the inclusion of Rudimental's "Waiting All Night" as the soundtrack to this video.  It is upbeat and serves the footage well.  The simple lyrics speak of expressing a desire for something.  In this case we are supposed to take that to mean a hoverboard, or more realistically, a Lexus car.  Why?  Because Lexus makes cool technologically advanced cars perfect for trendy young adults.  Its products are meant to be desired and coveted by onlookers.  What does a hoverboard have to do with luxury automobiles?  Not much, but in terms of sheer buzz and positive response, Lexus has a hit on its hands with this video.  Back to the Future fans will love it, and I for one am very excited to see what the GS F is made of.