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How Lexus Gave Black Panther A Ride Fit For A King

See the heroic Super Bowl spot here first.

“Lit AF,” was how we described Twitter’s reaction after seeing last June’s ‘Black Panther’ 30-second teaser. Fast forward to today, just a few weeks away from the Super Bowl and the February 16th debut of the highly anticipated Marvel Studios’ Black Panther premiere, and we predict that Twitter is about to be Lit AF again. The Run The Jewels hit “Legend Has It,” is the featured music and this time it’s part of an exciting Lexus Super Bowl spot featuring their new LS 500 F SPORT and Chadwick Boseman as The Black Panther. BET was given an advance look at a sixty-second extended digital version of the commercial created by Lexus ad agency Walton Isaacson.

Remy Merriex, Walton Isaacson Group Creative Director, discussed the decision to reprise the RTJ track in the spot. “Creative synergies and authenticity were a priority,” Merriex said, “and RTJ’s ‘Legend Has It’ helped underscore the connectivity between the film and the spot.” Merriex also noted that the hip-hop duo’s music had recently been used to launch the ‘Black Panther’ comic series.

Directing the spot is Samuel Bayer, known for his award-winning work helming music videos for groups like Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana. Jonathan Eusebio, Black Panther’s fight choreographer, is on board, and the spot also features original costumes from legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Selma, Marshall, Lee Daniels The Butler)  and gear from the film.

Agency EVP, Ayiko Broyard reflected on Black Panther as a celebration of Black excellence. “The cultural pride carries through to the Lexus Super Bowl spot,” she said, noting the overall diversity of the teams responsible for the Black Panther work. In its first 24 hours, advance ticket sales for Black Panther exceeded any other Marvel film. Cultural integrity is already proving to be a powerful driver of success.

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