"Go and See": Malcolm Gladwell and Lexus Team Up for Exclusive Podcast Series

Renowned author travels to Lexus headquarters in Japan for cultural deep dive

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Mar 05, 2020, 11:00 ET

PLANO, Texas, March 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Malcolm Gladwell, #1 New York Times bestselling author, long-time New Yorker writer, and host of the podcast Revisionist History®, is a self-proclaimed car nut. Which made him the perfect host to collaborate with Lexus for a six-part podcast launching today.

Malcolm Gladwell and Lexus Team Up for Exclusive Podcast Series

The podcast title, "Go and See," is an approximate translation of the Japanese "genchi genbutsu," or "go and see for yourself." The idea stems from the belief that a person will have a better understanding of people and how to create something for them from actual personal experience. In the series, Lexus invites Gladwell to Japan to discover their unconventional thinking and processes firsthand in the exclusive behind the scenes look at the luxury automaker.

"Human-centered design has been a Lexus core value since inception, and this has led to some interesting and original approaches through the years," said Lisa Materazzo, vice president of marketing at Lexus. "Malcolm Gladwell's curiosity is contagious, and we are so pleased that he accepted our invitation to take a closer look at Lexus. I believe he was able to gain an understanding of how we learn by studying people. The resulting podcast series is truly intriguing."

Gladwell's unique storytelling ability shines as he explores how culture and engineering merge at Lexus.

The podcast series follows Gladwell as he travels to the luxury brand's headquarters in Japan, explores a top-secret racetrack, and shadows engineers and executives. All while gaining firsthand exposure to how the brand takes learning from research on human behavior and processes that have set the brand apart.

Each episode dives deep into unique elements of the luxury automaker's identity, from how a Japanese tea ceremony influenced the engineering of a car window; to the musical composition of a coupe's engine and the emotions it elicits. "Go and See" offers car nuts like Gladwell, and anyone who is simply curious, a true appreciation of the exceptional craftsmanship behind the Lexus badge.

"I once had a Lexus sports car and loved it. But after I gave it up, I didn't really give them much more thought," said Gladwell. "In Japan, I saw firsthand just how much thought and cultural know-how and expertise goes into the final product."

Recorded over 10 weeks from December through February, Gladwell's own Pushkin Industries® produced the six-part series in partnership with Lexus. The first episode is available as of March 5, 2020, and new episodes will launch each Thursday. Listeners can stream or download the series from Apple Podcasts®, Radio.com®, Google Podcasts, Spotify®, Pandora®, Pocketcast, Stitcher®, iHeartRadio®, Castbox®, NPR One®, Web Players and more.

About Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell is the author of six New York Times bestsellers — The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, David and Goliath and Talking to Strangers. He is also the co-founder of Pushkin Industries, an audio content company that produces the podcasts Revisionist History, and Broken Record®, where he, Rick Rubin, and Bruce Headlam interview musicians across a wide range of genres. Gladwell is a staff writer at The New Yorker, has been included in the TIME 100 Most Influential People list, and was touted as one of Foreign Policy's Top Global Thinkers.

About Lexus
Lexus' passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 242 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With six models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers eight F SPORT models and two F performance models. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.

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Note to Editors: Lexus product information and images are available online via our news media web site http://LexusNewsroom.com.