Photo: Lincoln
The new Lincoln Nautilus has earned a place among Ad Age’s 20 hottest brands of 2024. Yes, the Nautilus specifically. The premium midsize crossover, revamped for 2024, found itself ranked alongside cultural luminaries such as Bluey and Cheez-It. So we’re talking crème de la crème (and cheez de la cheez).
Not all that long ago, the idea of Lincoln (or any of its vehicles for that matter) ranking among the hottest brands in America would have been the kind of thing that would draw disbelieving guffaws. But, McConaughey be praised, the brand has significantly rehabbed its image in the past decade with an onslaught of new, exciting vehicles like the Nautilus.
In its America’s Hottest Brands list, Ad Age credits the 2024 Nautilus with strengthening Lincoln’s push to capture younger drivers. Elements like a cushy new interior with a panoramic display that runs the length of the dashboard are a big part of its appeal. As is its selection of curated digital scents, waging war against the ever-present threat of stank. Pair all that with curb appeal and an available hybrid engine, and you’ve got a Lincoln that young’uns want to drive.
It doesn’t hurt that an ad for the Nautilus features a song that’s made the rounds on social media. Heavy Duty Projects’ Kaleidoscope Bliss (The Nautilus Song) gained enough traction that Lincoln released an extended version of the song to its YouTube channel.
Comments like “…… Lincoln, I am so in love with your marketing/advertising lately……. I want you to know that I have never not ever– paid any attention to any other advertisement for any other product, goods or services at all in my entire life….. But, you guys got my ATTENTION …. LOL” speak to the effectiveness of the ad. Comments like “I smoke way too much and watch too much basketball …..but I’m glad I’m not the only one vibes to this” don’t really speak to that effectiveness but certainly exist.
Lincoln’s head of marketing in the U.S., Megan McKenzie, tells Ad Age that there’s more effective advertising to come. Tennis legend Serena Williams, who has appeared in Lincoln ads going back to 2018, will star in a campaign for the Nautilus later this year.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.
