The Fonz is trading in his motorcycle for a Lexus RX 400h, as Henry Winkler is making his way across Britain on a children's book tour to support the government's 2008 National Year of Reading:

Winkler, world famous for his role as "The Fonz" in the hit television show Happy Days., is now the author of a best-selling series of children's novels about a boy called Hank Zipzer, the World's Greatest Underachiever. Winkler based Hank on his own experiences as a boy with dyslexia.

The tour kicked off on 30 June and will continue until 10 July. First News and Winkler are visiting 11 schools* during their tour and stopping off at branches of W.H. Smith in Kingston upon Thames, Birmingham and Manchester along the way, where Winkler will be signing copies of his books.

I'll be honest, I had no idea that Winkler was a successful children's author, but I do know that this is my second "Celebrity drives hybrid in Britain" story today, and that definitely counts for something.

[Source: Autoblog Green]

The Lexus-sponsored Alicia Keys tour wrapped up last night in New York, and Advertising Age has an article describing the company's presence at the concerts:

In exchange for the paid sponsorship, Lexus installed lounges at each concert, exclusive VIP areas heavy with appetizers and a bar, and randomly selected a section of the auditorium to get Lexus-branded chair pads and "concierge service," including free popcorn and soda. Lexus also gave free parking and VIP passes to any attendee arriving in one of its cars.

Concert-goers who spent time in the Lexus lounge could register for a seat upgrade by providing some personal information. Organizers chose a handful of the folks with the worst seats in the house and gave them spots in the front row.

Webisodes with concert footage will become available June 30 on LuxuryAwaits.com, a website highlighting the marketer's alliance with the singer.

It's an interesting angle, this preferential treatment, and Lexus has used it in a number of different applications, from the owner lounges at car shows to parking at baseball games. On one hand, it's a good way to connect with their current customers, but I wonder how non-Lexus owners would feel about the exclusivity?

While covering the US Open in Torrey Pines, golf blogger Geoff Shackelford spotted this Lexus LX 570 "Evacuation Vehicle":

Pretty strange designation, I'm still trying to figure it out.

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Lexus is also sponsoring an invitation-only event tonight on the roof of the Hard Rock Cafe in San Diego, where the US Open is taking place:

The event focal point is the pre-fabricated Lexus Hybrid Living home on the Hard Rock Hotel’s rooftop. It incorporates Lexus’ Hybrid Living partners who define and inspire a new eco-luxury.

“The Lexus Style Villa Sports event will be the hot ticket during the U.S. Open tournament weekend,” states Dave Nordstrom, vice president of marketing for Lexus.

No images or real details, though the press release mentions the pre-fab home was designed by Marmol Radziner Prefab.

The 2008 US Open is being played this week, and Lexus is one of the event's four sponsors. As expected, there's some fairly extensive Lexus advertising being put together, including a funny short film featuring Annika Sorenstam, Charles Howell III, Raymond Floyd and Chi Chi Rodriguez in a car race to the Open (image below leads to video):

Between this video and last year's US Tennis Open advert, these sports sponsorships sure seem to bring out the lighter side of Lexus marketing.

(Also, on a related note, I read this interesting article about the USGA's new corporate sponsorships and how it breaks down. Indepth and informative, if you're interested in such things.)

Motor Trend spent some time in the Lexus Hybrid Living Suite, a suite created at the San Francisco Fairmont hotel to showcase Lexus' commitment to environmental responsibility:

The San Francisco Fairmont is located on top of the Nob Hill area, the highest point in the entire city. As one might imagine, such a location makes for fantastic views -- in fact, the Lexus Suite provides a stunning look at many of San Francisco's chief points of interest, including Alcatraz, Coit Tower, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Organic is a chief theme in the suite, with material for the bed mattress, sheets, towels, and robes all grown without pesticides. Much of the furniture in the suite, from the night stands, to the bed, dining table, and bathroom fixtures, was sourced from antique stores -- as opposed to buying new items -- and refinished, essentially recycling them for use in the suite.

Primarily I'm linking to the story because of the photo gallery, which shows the suite from a number of different angles, but it's also important to note that this might be the first time Motor Trend's passed on the chance to put down the hybrid sedan.

I remember hearing about it last year, but this is the first time I've seen this Lexus commercial detailing the life of a US Open tennis ball after its day in the spotlight:

Quirky and cute, it's a neat take on the standard sponsorship advertisement, and makes you think, what really does happen to all those tennis balls?