Lincoln, America's "other" storied luxury brand, which was almost dead five years ago, has gained new life with new models, new commercials and new customers.

Sales for the brand were up 19 percent in February from a year ago, with the MKZ midsize sedan seeing a 53.8 percent sales increase.

Lincoln has benefited from the halo that all Ford Motor Co. products are enjoying thanks to improved quality and fit and finish, along with recommendations from authorities such as Consumer Reports.

"The new styling direction is very consistent now. Lincolns all look like they belong in the same family, and they are much more competitive than the previous generation," said Jeff Schuster, executive director of forecasting for J.D. Power Automotive Forecasting. He added that "it will probably take another generation of vehicles" before the Lincoln brand identity is firmly established.

"Lincoln's really on the move. They're making a lot of progress, and all their recent model launches have been better than the vehicles they replaced," Jack Nerad, editorial director at Kelley Blue Book, said. "I think they've taken on a more urban bent than they had before, a more progressive look at the luxury market than they did a few years ago."

The brand owes its success in no small part to a marketing campaign designed to emphasize that contemporary luxury image.

The commercial that introduced the MKS sedan features a driver hitting a starter button that erupts in laser beams of light.

As the car is put into gear, the viewer sees spinning needles on gauges, puffs of smoke and the image of the sedan laying tracks on the asphalt. It ends with the words "Boot up. Lift Off."

This year, things continued with a series of commercials with a popular song "Under the Milky Way" by singer Sia. The commercials feature the MKT SUV against a dark sky with black-and-white, film noir-tinged shots of the car's interior. The only other element is a moving beam of light.

In addition, Lincoln has been sponsoring events that attract a youthful audience, such as the recent Grammy music awards.

But Lincoln still has not reached the milestones of its chief domestic rival, Cadillac.

"Cadillac has begun to attract some premium buyers from some of the other brands, including European and luxury brands, and that's something that Lincoln doesn't have right now," Mr. Schuster said. "Lincoln's been going more for luxury, and they are missing some opportunities in the premium performance car end of the market."

His data show that for 2009, the average age of a Cadillac buyer was 58, compared with 60 for Lincoln, and that 35.4 percent of consumers between the ages of 36 and 55 buy Cadillacs, compared with 31.2 percent of that age group that buy Lincolns.

AutoPacific research data shows that high performance is important for Cadillac buyers while it is an insignificant factor for those who buy Lincolns.

"Having high performance as part of your image means that you will generally draw a more youthful crowd, and that's good for your brand over the long term," said Dan Hall, vice president of AutoPacific. "At some point you have to attract younger buyers, and they generally are drawn by performance."

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