Lexus is collaborating with Marvel Studios for the third time ahead of the release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and it’s preparing viewers for the film with a new ad campaign featuring its first fully electric vehicle, the RZ 450e.
The ad is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and features General Okoye (played by Danai Gurira), who is a member of Wakanda’s all-female Royal Guard, known as the Dora Milaje. Viewers follow General Okoye and two others as they evade pursuers in the new Lexus RZ 450e.
“I hope people watch the ad and feel like they are in a great movie. For each Lexus spot, I treat the vehicle like a character, so like a Marvel character, the RZ 450e is the hero. It is the star,” said director Anthony Leonardi III. “I hope viewers feel like they are along for the ride.”
Read Also: Lexus Dressed 10 Models With Custom Wraps For Each Of Marvel’s ‘Eternals’
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Lexus unveiled the RZ 450e in April and the crossover is its first vehicle based on Toyota’s new e-TNGA platform. That means it has a 96-cell, 71.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that enables the EV to go 249 miles (470 km) on a charge, according to the WLTP test cycle.
It features electric motors powering both the front and rear axles, which combine to make 309 hp (230 kW/313 PS). They allow the RZ 450e to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in just 5.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 99 mph (160 mph).
Lexus vehicles will also be featured in the feature film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” For it, the characters have been given a Lexus GX and an LC 500 Convertible.
“By returning to our successful relationship with Marvel Studios for the highly anticipated sequel to ‘Black Panther’ we are taking this collaboration to another level,” said Vinay Shahani, Lexus vice president of marketing. “The technology, creativity, and imagination we encounter in the futuristic nation of Wakanda is a natural fit for the sustainable, global society Lexus envisions with the introduction of our most advanced vehicle ever, the fully-electric RZ 450e, further extending our electrified vehicle portfolio.”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” premieres on November 11 and the Lexus RZ 450e ad will run on TV and social media.
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