SCIKOTICS!!!

I read a really interesting article today about the boxy Toyota Scion. I am not the biggest fan of this car, but I read there is a growing youth cult calling themselves "Scikotics". This fan base just keeps growing and growing. Because of this on-going popularity, Toyota has teamed up with popular marketing firm, StrawberryFrog, to launch its new website, Scion Speak.

Scion Speak allows users to design their own "coat of arms" to show their own personalities. These coats of arms are designed by Tristan Eatson, a graffiti artist. Designs range from flames, to smiley faces, to flames, to banners. These could be in different colors and saved to your computer or uploaded to their gallery. The gallery allows the whole world to see your designs. Toyota also encourages you to take your designs to auto shops and get them as decals or professionally painted onto your car. Cool huh? ( I tried to save my design to post it up but it didn't work bummer. But look for it on the website.. it has a green eagle, two marroon legs, a pink Austin banner and a pink skull in the center).

Although this is a really cool idea, I think it is an ineffective PR tool. Although Toyota encourages users to put their designs on their car, Toyota isn't the one paying for it. These details could end up being expensive running from $500 to $1500. Most people are not going to be willing to pay that kind of money. Also, Scion Speak is targeted to a very select group of people who own Scions. They aren't looking to appeal to future Scikotics but the current ones.

I got this article from Ny Times.com