Lexus, Black Panther team up for Super Bowl LII

Black Panther and Lexus

Step aside Audi, there’s a new luxury ride in Marvel films. And it’s the vehicle of Kings. Or one King to be exact – T’Challa from the upcoming Disney/Marvel film, Black Panther.

Lexus, which has had a TV relationship with Marvel’s Agents of Shield for the past 5 seasons, has unleashed a 60-second extended digital version of the Super Bowl LII spot airing February 4. Titled, “Long Live The King,” and helmed by veteran director Samuel Bayer, the spot pairs the flagship luxury performance sedan 2018 Lexus LS 500 F SPORT with the Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman.

The high-impact story in “Long Live the King” revolves around the character of T’Challa in his role as Black Panther recovering stolen Vibranium, the mythical ore found only in the Black Panther’s home of Wakanda, and his nearly simultaneous need to represent his country as king at a world leadership conference.

“Long Live the King,” seamlessly incorporates actual footage from the film—notably, of Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s sister, Shuri—and features many of the film’s actors, including the Dora Milaje team of Wakandan special forces: Janeshia Adams-Ginyard, Marija Abney and Zola Williams.

Well, that was pretty badass!

The spot was shot using original costumes and gear from the film, including the Black Panther/King T’Challa outfits, Dora Milaje battle suits and Vibranium canisters. Even the film’s fight choreographer, Jonathan (JoJo) Eusebio, was engaged to stage the spot’s fight scene. It features VFX work by Luma, the studio who created Black Panther’s suit FX for the film. The ad was shot in downtown L.A. at night using a custom lighting unit.

The song “Legend Has It” by Run the Jewels, with its head-bobbing beats and “Step into the Spotlight” lyric, provides the perfect soundtrack for the action as the Black Panther and the LS 500 F SPORT make their insane action. The song, also used in the first trailer for the film, is from the album “Run the Jewels 3,” which debuted at # 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for the physical release.

Cooper Ericksen, Lexus’ VP of Marketing was visibly pleased with the heroic team up saying in a statement, “There is an authentic match between the duality of both the Black Panther and the LS. The spot utilizes the Black Panther’s life as a superhero and as royalty to show the two sides of the LS: performance and luxury.”

“This spot feels beautifully cinematic from start to finish,” said Mindy Hamilton, Marvel’s senior vice president of global partnerships and marketing. “With a character as important as Black Panther and a brand as iconic as Lexus, we knew that we had to rise to the occasion by creating something unforgettable. It’s a climactic moment for all of us as we come together to celebrate this wonderful collaboration and enjoy the big game.”

The Super Bowl spot is part of a robust collaboration between Lexus and Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” that gets geeks like myself all kinds of stoked. The partnership includes the exclusive “Black Panther”-themed event at Comic-Con International: San Diego after-hours last July, and an original graphic novel created with Marvel Custom Solutions titled “Black Panther: Soul of a Machine” introduced at Comic-Con.

This marks the fourth-time Lexus has appeared in the Super Bowl. “Long Live the King” follows Lexus’ 2017 Super Bowl ad “Man and Machine,” as well as spots in the 2015 and 2012 games.

So, you have appearances by Black Panther, the Dora Milaje, and the song “Long Live the King.” Yep, this spot is a Comic Book Fan’s wet dream and will most certainly engage fans of the Super Bowl as well.

 
CREDITS
Agency: Walton Isaacson
   Partners: Aaron Walton and Cory Isaacson
   Group Creative Director: Remy Merriex
   Group Creative Director: Matt Weiner
   Associate Creative Director: Diori Thomas
   Associate Creative Director: Michael Craighead
   Associate Creative Director: Nick Kamei
   Art Director: Carlo Reyes
   Executive Producer: Shauna Williams
   Associate Producer: Elsa Rubalcava
   Account Director: Mike Marinero
   Director Project Management: Karen Kohn
   Music Supervisor: Andrew Logan
   EVP/Group Account Director: Ayiko Broyard
   Business Affairs Manager: Angel Cielo
   Broadcast Traffic Manager: Lesley Howser