This time, the theme is, loosely: the best present ever.
In one, a little girl is pictured in her living room on Christmas morning with a pony as Dad reads the newspaper and Mom fiddles with the tree.
(I know, I know ... who lets a pony in the house? On a beautiful white carpet, no less. Hey, don't come down on me. I didn't write the commercial. I'm just trying to describe it for you.)
"Look, it's Dolly," the kid says, looking into the camera. "Don't you remember how excited you were? You yelled so loud the neighbors came over!"
"Remember how jealous Ann-Marie was?" the little brat continues. "Dolly was the bestest present ever. Nothing could be more ..."
At this, the little girl's face morphs into the rapturous features of a 35-ish blonde, who stares at the brand new ES 350 with the big red bow in the driveway and intones "... perfect."
Well, that certainly promotes the spirit of Christmas.
Get a pony to lord it over the other kids in the neighborhood. Get a Lexus to do the same thing when they're all grown up.
In the second commercial, a young boy is whizzing around the house Christmas morning on his new Big Wheel as the rest of the family open their presents.
This kid might be even more annoying than the little girl with the pony, at least voice-wise.
"Stop! What are you doing?" the kid whines at the camera. "You can't top the Big Wheel memory! This was the best present ever! Remember the freedom? The wind in your ears?
"Look at it!" the kid goes on. "Nothing could ever be this ..."
The same special-effects thing happens.
The kid's face transforms into that of a man who says: "... great."
Then we cut to a new RX 350 with a big bow sitting in the driveway as the man gives his wife a thank-you smooch.
I don't know - what's the message being sent by these two spots?
That spoiled, demanding kids become spoiled, demanding adults?
That warm childhood memories can be re-created with wildly expensive toys when you're a grown-up?
The way things are going, most of us would be thrilled to see a new Chevy Aveo in the driveway this Christmas. With or without the big red bow.
