CREATIVE SHOWCASE

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Client: Scion
Creative Agency: Attik

Creative and brand-engineering agency ATTIK recently launched a multifaceted marketing campaign promoting Scion's newest model, the xD five-door urban vehicle.  The agency's new Little Deviant campaign conveys the message that the character of the xD is, in the words of ATTIK's co-founder and group creative director Simon Needham, "a little bad-ass." The goals of the campaign were to entertain the target audience, drive interest in the xD and gain even more brand recognition for Scion.

The Little Deviant campaign uses an array of innovative elements to underscore the xD's non-conformist personality. These facets include a cinema spot that debuted in key markets on June 15, the Little Deviants interactive website that launched the same day, a pop-up spectacular print ad, a banner campaign and other guerilla activities that kicked off earlier this month.

In the storyline, the xD's virtual accomplices -- a number of uniquely monstrous little Deviant characters -- torment "Sheeple," the conformist clones who paint the world and its inhabitants a dull gray. The xD itself unleashes Deviants from underground, and through the campaign's website, visitors can join the mischievous gremlins in customization... all in the spirit of replacing dreary compliance with vibrant creativity.

On the Little Deviants website, "The Book of Deviants" is introduced using the same pop-up style of the campaign's print ad. Visitors are invited to play along in an interactive adventure to help the Deviants take back the city from the Sheeple's boredom and conformity. Each element features character illustrations commissioned by ATTIK from emerging artist Dave Correia. 

"Scion is launching a new car in the compact car segment, where the majority of the small cars that are out there are marketed in terms of them being fun, cheeky, cute and that sort of stuff," Needham explains. "In typical Scion form, we tend to go against the grain and be more irreverent; we don't mind being bad. The whole thing is just about establishing the car as a little deviant, and we want to bring out the deviant or naughty side of our audience." 
-- Roger Darnell, principle, DWP, Attik

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At some points in this rich media feast of an experience I forgot what the site was advertising because I was having so much fun. And then each new chapter began and I was cleverly and subtly reminded that this was a Scion site as the car drove into the scene with the hero (the little deviant) in tow. There's no better way to end a long week than slicing, dicing, fighting, throwing and generally bashing "Sheeple." Who wouldn't love that?

The art direction was fantastic, with a clever twist on the book/chapter concept as the pages literally unfolded and popped-up to create the backdrops. This is how to create rich media animations and tell a story, not just be artistic for the sake of being artistic. The cityscape even turned from grey to color as I progressed through the chapters; another nice visual cue. I love this site. Sure it's a little dark, but the gore is tastefully done.
-- Matt Wright, director of online video strategy, HowStuffWorks.

Attik knows its target: "trendleaders" who don't want to follow the herd. These are your urban hipsters. They're young, image-conscious and hoping to be seen as individuals as they rove the streets in their new Scions, customized to their own individuality.

Anyone who buys a competitor's car is a "Sheeple," and they should be murdered, their green blood flowing through the city's sewers, which will eventually power the factory that produces the new Scion xD, a "deviant" car. Naughty yet playful, the demonic deviants get to slash, toss and mutilate the Sheeple, eventually ripping out one of their hearts and wearing it as bling.

Ford thought they were bold? This is a new level of bold, and Attik plays it very well, with art commissioned from Dave Correia of playwithknives.com brought into a great Flash game that introduces us to the xD. It's a pop-up cityscape at dark where the hapless Sheeple roam, narrated by a deviant-voiced man who even gets the f-word bleeped on him. You, as Deviant, must eradicate the city of these clueless drones and allow production of the xD to begin. The Sheeple don't want change, and they will fight you back, especially in the end, where one lone Sheeple thinks he has what it takes to dispatch your underworld character. He beat me in the first round, but I eventually ripped out his heart and then used all the Sheeple blood to power the xD factory.

The question, as always: will this sell Scions? Or will this just be the best and latest in a long series of interactive game experiences that further rob employers of valuable hours as their own Sheeple sit in cubicles, giddily laughing at the cries and baaaahs of the slaughtered Sheeple?

As far as interactive games and websites designed to introduce products, I've not seen one that does it quite like this, murdering the conformists and using their blood to fuel your dream. The envelope has been pushed so wide open it's starting to tear at the seams. As a blogger friend said, "Creepy, engaging and unique."
-- Dave Wilkie, creative director, Dexterity Media and advertising blogger at Where's My Jetpack?