The Essence of the Pairing

Digital Print Social

Lexus wants to spread the word about its commitment to the culinary arts by connecting with Dotdash Meredith’s passionate food audiences across print, digital, social media, and premium events, like the Food & Wine Classic.

In a 360° partnership rooted in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and Southern Living, Lexus tapped The Foundry to help build excitement around its presence at the inaugural Food & Wine Classic in Charleston in 2024. The goal was to showcase the brand’s passion for connecting its customers with amazing food and travel experiences beyond the driver’s seat.

Celebrity Talent Original Photography

Lexus is a long-time sponsor of the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, a leading event in the culinary space for over 40 years. Among the world-class chefs in attendance are Lexus Culinary Masters (LCMs), an esteemed group of chef talent that partners with the brand. In June, The Foundry was in Aspen to capture original photography featuring LCMs for a digital premium article rooted in F&W, elevated even more by a photoshoot in the DDM studio.

Building off this momentum, The Foundry and Lexus partnered again for the first-ever Food & Wine Classic in Charleston. As the exclusive auto sponsor, the brand gained weekend-long exposure to a crowd of over 2,000 food and wine enthusiasts who enjoyed cooking demonstrations led by celebrity chefs, educational wine and spirits seminars, on-site Lexus activations, and much more.

The Foundry went behind the scenes with Lexus Culinary Masters to bring this exciting event to life for Dotdash Meredith audiences following along at home. Featuring original photography and exclusive Q&A’s with the chefs, premium native articles included: “A Taste of Charleston With Chef Michelle Bernstein” (F&W); “On the Road With Chef Shota Nakajima” (T+L); and “A Lowcountry Tailgate Party With Chefs Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo” (SL).

Each native article showed LCMs enjoying their Charleston experience in the 2024 Lexus GX. Interactive pop-up (“hotspot”) functionality allowed readers to explore the luxury SUV’s features for themselves. Storytelling organically wove vehicle messaging together with tips, insights, and inspiration from the chefs.

Extending Lexus’ reach to social audiences across F&W, T+L, and SL, three dark in-feed posts provided users on Instagram and Facebook with another entry point to the premium native articles. Engaging image carousels showcased custom photography captured at the event, with LCMs and the Lexus GX front and center.

On hand at the event were the 2024 October issues of F&W, T+L, and SL. Each magazine featured highly impactful Lexus placements and native storytelling with seamless vehicle integration.

Aligning with F&W’s annual “Best New Chefs” tentpole, LCMs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo shared the spotlight on a faux second cover for an unmissable, front-of-book experience.

A sleek, four-page gatefold rooted in T+L’s “Innovation” issue explored Lexus’ partnership with some of the country’s top hotels and resorts to connect drivers with exclusive travel experiences.

Finally, SL’s “Fall Traditions” issue highlighted Dean Fearing, the iconic Southern chef and LCM, who discussed tradition, hospitality, and innovation.

Building a multi-year partnership, Lexus continues to task The Foundry with distilling their core values — innovation, hospitality, and craftsmanship — through native content that engages our most discerning audiences and speaks directly to their passion points. Beyond the Food & Wine Classic, we’ve created additional premium content on behalf of Lexus, inclusive of a stunning native article (F&W) with LCM Shota Najajima that saw his ultimate dream meal brought to life in our photo studio.

In 2025, Lexus will once again partner with Food & Wine and The Foundry. A year-long creative campaign will trumpet their sponsorship at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and Charleston —  featuring LCM talent, storytelling, event content, long-form video, high-impact print, and more.