Roger Darnell
DWA for ATTIK
1.828.264.8898

Allison Takahashi
Scion Public Relations
310.468.5315

For Immediate Release

SAN FRANCISCO – (June 9, 2004) – Global creative agency ATTIK (www.attik.com) today detailed its new Web and email-based viral advertising campaign for Scion, the new line of vehicles from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., for which ATTIK serves as creative agency of record.  The campaign supports the launch of the new 2005 tC sports coupe which will be available at dealerships across the nation by the end of June.

To drive its main audience of trendsetting urban youths to the viral campaign’s target website – www.wanttC.com – ATTIK commissioned Sydney-based Ambience to create four animated characters.  Working with ATTIK’s brief, the team from Ambience created Tina, Ratchet, Glock and Random, the characters featured in new lenticular postcards being passed out with Scion-branded temporary tattoos by street teams in major U.S. cities.  Mobile billboards, posters, radio, cinema and TV spots and other new campaign elements are also spurring interest in Scion and the tC in these urban hubs.

Under ATTIK’s direction, the team from Ambience also created four animated episodic shorts entitled “303 Caliber” featuring these characters on a bizarre adventure in their Scion driving “cross-country” on a summer road trip.  With Flash animation from Melbourne-based Squarei in conjunction with Ambience, and the combined efforts of Dentsu's Oasis Advertising in Los Angeles, their sibling Semaphore Partners, San Francisco’s DHAP Digital and LA’s Viewpoint Corporation, the episodes were created and will appear on the new www.wanttC.com site which launched two weeks ago. 

The site currently features the two episodes (“The Hitcher” and “Truck STOP!”), as well as tC-themed downloadable screensavers, wallpapers, QuickTimes of the campaign’s new cinema/broadcast spots, custom browser tools, comprehensive information on the tC, a dealer locator, a “send to a friend” feature as well as the ability to register on the site to receive email updates.

Beyond the efforts of nationwide street teams to drive traffic to the site, the campaign has also leveraged relationships with select magazines where Scion has advertised by contacting their opt-in subscribers with rich-media email blasts using the campaign’s artwork and messaging to invite recipients to visit the site. 

“We wanted to generate some buzz about the tC prior to its on-sale date, so we dove head on into this project,” said Adrian Si, Scion interactive marketing manager.  “Concept to deployment was accomplished in 30 days.  Fortunately, we’ve had some great partners on board who were able to develop and launch impactful creative in a very short period of time.”

Along with Simon Needham, group creative director and Scion account creative director, ATTIK’s key teammembers include executive producer Patrick McFarlane, account director Amy Elkins and lead interactive producer Jason Cowell. 

The team from Ambience Entertainment in Sydney, Australia, was led by creative director David Webster, co-writer Steve Cakebread, designer Daniel Bavell and production manager Julie Shiels.

Website design on www.wanttC.com, done primarily in Flash, was led by Ashley Anderson of Semaphore Partners.

More details on the campaign’s new broadcast spots will be available soon.

Zenith Media handles media on the Scion account.

About ATTIK
ATTIK (www.attik.com) is a global creative agency committed to designing extraordinary creative experiences that inspire consumers through compelling communications.  ATTIK's strategic planning, design, advertising, production, client service and young-adult research expertise have driven success across an array of consumer product and service categories.  ATTIK articulates corporate brand strategy, designs creative solutions for advertising, below-the-line and online media, ensuring target audiences are vitally connected to every facet of its clients' brands.  For inquiries, please call Ric Peralta (Ric@attik.com) at +1-415-284-2600.

About Scion
Scion is a new line of vehicles from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. Scion’s mission is to satisfy trendsetting youthful buyers through distinctive products and an innovative, consumer-driven process.  Scion’s first two vehicles, the xA and xB, like the brand, are aspirational, provocative and authentic and arrived in 105 California dealerships on June 9, 2003.  On February 3, 2004, the market expanded to cover the south, southeast and east coast.  Finally, in June 2004, Scion will simultaneously complete the national rollout and launch the third Scion vehicle, the tC sports coupe.  Scion will respond to an emerging culture of new car buyers with unique products, targeted marketing and a dedicated sales process.  For more information, visit www.scion.com.