Metalhead Responds to Scion’s Plan to Sell Him a Car
Scion, the division of Toyota aimed at young people who like cool cars, has apparently targeted metalheads as a a key marketing demo. (Read about it here.)
Something about this didn’t quite smell right to me–and it hasn’t passed the test with at a metal fan who goes by the name Ur-Turn. He points out some potential pitfalls of a car company–hell, any company–embracing metal culture.
My disbelief at Scion AV’s announcement echoed across heavy metal fandom. If there’s such a thing as collective cognitive dissonance, Scion AV caused it. Nobody could believe that Toyota was going to do this. What did heavy metal have to do with selling cars? And why would Toyota risk its stodgy and safe image on promoting itself via heavy metal, even if done through the ‘edgy’ and ‘youth-oriented’ Scion brand?
Toyota’s decision was and is questionable in four ways. First up: return on investment, if such a thing is calculable in this sort of endeavor. Not only was Toyota going to promote itself by sponsoring heavy metal concerts and EP length recordings, but it was going subterranean with its efforts.
It’s a good post. Read the rest here.
