<nettime> Marketing cool

[Steve Cisler <cisler@pobox.com>]

Not a new topic, I know. The lead article in our San Jose paper is 
about "Gen Y" cars and how to sell to younger buyers.  Toyota has a 
cheap, boxy model called Scion that will be first sold here in 
California.  I took a look at www.scion.com are read copy that would 
have Tom Frank gnashing his teeth:

"In this brand-heavy world,we are constantly inundated with messages 
about what to wear, where to go and how to be. However,we know that 
independent thought doesn’t come from picking and choosing an identity 
from a series of prefab selections. Although we may like some of the 
individual elements of what’s available, on the whole we would rather 
be able to mix and match, choose those pieces that support our distinct 
qualities as independent creatures. We want to be recognized as unique 
beings who revel in the freedom of expression. SCION (the car company 
and the magazine) recognizes the value of the individual and the remix, 
the re-appropriation of mass culture, and it will focus on the 
struggle, the challenge and the successes of keeping it real.

"The idea of the remix has become more common and now can be applied to 
entire identities, from music to fashion, from technology to art. The 
lines have been blurred. The opportunity for independence is vital. We 
are now active participants in the process, tricking out the smallest 
details, tweaking the characteristics to fit our lifestyles. By 
changing color palettes, textures and soundscapes, we can be recognized 
by our peers for who and what we are."

http://www.scion.com/
Steve

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