This is my Scion crest. I don't actually drive a Scion, but in the interest of keeping you well informed, dear reader [and avoiding real work, of course] I went to their site and designed one. It has several symbols that make sense to me. I had a lot of trouble picking the animal for the top, but the crest just didn't look right without it.
You can make the crest using the provided elements. The site is really easy to use, and free. You can download the crest and get it printed up if you wish.
To be honest, I'd never even heard of the Scion. Maybe you hadn't either. This is buzz at its best, quite apart from showing your loyalists that you understand them. And Toyota has never been known for innovation in this area. Looks like that's changing too.
If you want to see some interesting research video, you can also find that at the Scion Speak site. They came up with the icon after sending a graffiti artist around to talk to Scion owners, and some of the clips are here.
Somehow, the ability to make your own car crest reminded me of Moo, who now offers customizable sticker packages for a mere $9.99. This is not much more expensive than the stuff I buy at Staples, and a lot more interesting.
I am a stationery junkie at the best of times, and when I found out about these stickers, I had to seriously restrain myself from ordering great gobs of them. [I would have the coolest discussion groups around, surely! Okay, I've only put it off till I have a good business reason.]
Co-creation is everywhere. This is not going away anytime soon.
Resources
Do-It-Yourself Logos for Proud Scion Owners, New York Times, March 24, 2008
