Scion, Toyota’s “youth” brand, is on the prowl for some new marketing partners from the ad agency world. Sources say that Toyota, while enthusiastic about the progress of Scion, is starting to strategize how to grow the brand beyond its current bounds. The concern, says one exec in the know, is that the brand isn’t reaching enough people.

“It’s kind of a mile deep and a foot wide,” said the inside source.

Scion sales are up this year. Overall, the brand is up to 51,800 through April, from about 47,000 the previous year. The tC has quickly become the top seller, while the xB sales have been about flat and the slowest-selling xA is up 22 percent as more buyers explore fuel-efficient models.

Scion uses ad agencies Attik, based in San Francisco and Oasis, N.Y., for strategic and ad services. Toyota is looking at other smallish agencies on both coasts with multi-media and multi-disciplined offerings, but which have handled some brands with broad reach. TV ads, extensive Web marketing and special projects like its own music label have been successful and the brand by all accounts has been over-achieving.—Jim Burt

Chalk one up for public relations, future technology and the drudgery of driver’s education in the U.S. DaimlerChrysler proudly points out this week that over the past year, some newly minted drivers have had the rare chance to pilot a fuel-cell-powered vehicle to the DMV in California for their driving test. DC is acting on President Bush’s State of the Union call for a hydrogen future in the U.S., particularly in the automotive world by offering some driving students the chance to drive their Mercedes-Benz F-Cell on their maiden voyages as licensed drivers. Curiously omitted from the chirpy press release—well, as chirpy as Saxons can muster—was any mention of how long the line at the DMV was, how surly the employees were, and how many attempts DC allowed at the parallel-parking maneuver before throwing their hands up in frustration. (If it was 1985 and this was our test, that magic number would be three.)

The blog world wins another victory: last week, TCConfidential showed you the smart billboard that referenced “American nothing” in what seems to be a derogatory way. Complaints about the billboard — brought to our attention by a reader via Neandernews.com — apparently reached DaimlerChrysler brass in South Africa, who in turn contacted TheCarConnection on Tuesday to advise that the billboard was being removed:

“We wish to advise that the intention of the communication headline of the billboard was never to reflect negatively on the American society, but rather to refer to the vehicle’s features and product characteristics. Whereas most American vehicles are famous for e.g. being large in size, the reference to “American nothing” relates to vehicle manufacturing and most certainly not to the American society…

Although we appreciate the fact that all advertisements are open for interpretation by various individuals depending on their own personal opinions, we wish to state that none of the advertisements by DaimlerChrysler in promoting its brands are aimed to be discriminating or offending against any individual, belief, religion, colour, nationality, country or otherwise.

Having regard to the above, and without it being construed as an admission of guilt on the part of DaimlerChrysler South Africa in placing the billboard, it has been resolved to remove the billboard to avoid any further misconception and wrong perception as to the true intent of DaimlerChrysler South Africa in the promotion of the smart brand. We wish to apologise for any offence taken as a result of the misperception created by the billboard.”

Fritz van Olst
Management Board Member, Sales & Marketing
DaimlerChrysler South Africa (pty) Ltd.

Yes, former frat boy, you drank and partied like it was 1999, unironically, when it really was 1999, and you got, like, so wasted. But you have nothing on Vidmantas Sungaila, 41, of Lithuania, in terms of your ability to hold your liquor or even in the number of syllables in your first and last names. Sungaila got pulled over by the Lithuanian cops recently for driving his truck down the middle of a two-lane road. After testing him for alcohol in his blood, cops found that Sungaila not only was drunk, he should have been dead, as he registered more than twice the lethal level of alcohol in his blood, 7.3 grams per liter (pretend you’re Jim Jones and do your own conversions). Sungaila drew an $1100 fine for the infraction and could lose his license for up to three years. Lithuania, by the way, has one of Europe’s worst drunk-driving problems, with 760 deaths in 2005 against a population of 3.5 million.

The self-serving press release of the day award goes to Piaggio Group, maker and marketer of the Vespa. According to the Italian company, 30 percent of U.S. consumers would be extremely or somewhat likely to consider using a motor scooter for their everyday transportation needs. That is based on a national survey. According to the survey conducted in the first week of May of 2006, these individuals indicated a willingness to transfer 35 percent of their weekly mileage to a scooter.

The first thing to point out is the typo in the release that actually said, “According to the survey conducted in the first week of May of 2006, these individuals indicted a willingness to transfer 35 percent of their weekly mileage to a scooter.” Is the indictment for a guy named Will Ingness?

Despite the self-serving nature of the release, it would be great if Americans were the kind to actually go down this road. How many times do we see people driving H2s, Ford Explorers, Chevy Tahoes to the corner store with one occupant because that’s the vehicle they own? By many estimates, most SUV owners actually need the space and hauling capacity of the SUV they own less than ten percent of the time.

Comparing the results of the survey to Department of Energy national averages for fuel consumption and emissions, the survey findings establish that if Americans were to utilize a scooter they could, in aggregate, reduce national fuel consumption by 14 million gallons of gasoline per day and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 324 million pounds per day. “Scooters” were defined in the survey as two-wheel vehicles that can reach 40-100 mph, whose average cost is $2000 or above. The survey was fielded by ICR on behalf of Piaggio Group Americas.

At that cost, it would be well worth most suburban households to stock a scooter as an alternate to a car. Let’s face it, though, the number of Americans who would adopt this lifestyle is roughly the number who watch the Bravo channel on a nightly basis. Too bad.

Scooter sales have increased tremendously over the past two years. U.S. sales of all Piaggio brand scooters through its dealer network increased by an impressive 15 percent in 2005. Piaggio, which re-entered the U.S. market in 2000, now has dealerships in over 100 locations. —Jim Burt