This 30-second ad for the new Lexus GS, which ran at the end of the first quarter of Super Bowl XLVI, marked the debut of Lexus in the big game. Watch it and you’ll pick up a rather “Jurassic Park” feel.

Lexus posted “The Beast” online nearly a week before the Super Bowl, following a building trend sparked partly the year before when Volkswagen’s “The Force” TV spot became a viral hit before it ever aired during the game. Several automakers in the 2012 game released teasers or complete spots early, valuing exposure more than surprising the TV audience. Others that released their Super Bowl ads early in 2012 included Chevrolet, Audi, VW, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Acura. But viewers had only to wait until 2013 for the gates to open nearly all the way.

“The Beast” was created by Attik, a Lexus roster agency, even though the overall GS campaign was being orchestrated by the brand’s agency of record, Team One. 

BRAND: Lexus

YEAR: 2012

AGENCY: Attik

SUPERBOWL: XLVI

QUARTER AIRED: Q1