Consumers to Design Scion Showroom
Ready. Set. Draw. Scion is urging consumers to get their creative skills in gear for a competition that lets them create a design for a Scion dealership showroom for a chance to win a cash prize and have the concept possibly brought to life at dealerships nationwide.
Beginning Sept. 22 though Nov. 10, consumers can submit a showroom design drawing and written description of the concept for a 750 square-foot showroom at ScionFloorPlan.com. The creator of the best concept will win $5,000 and the idea, or parts of it, may be incorporated into more than 900 Scion showrooms nationwide, a Scion spokesperson said. Meanwhile, second- and third-prize winners receive $1,000 and $500, respectively.
Designs should include a vehicle display and two specific areas—the discovery area and the consultation area. The discovery area is where the showroom communicates the brand’s identity and where potential buyers learn about the cars. The second area is reserved for sales consultations and should be somewhat private and relatively removed from the bustle of the discovery area.
To help aid contestants in the design process, Scion will provide assets—including Scion logos, current showroom designs, vehicle dimensions and images—to use and reference. In a call to action, Scion is reaching out to architectural and interior design departments at design schools nationwide.
From students’ submissions, “we’ll see what are some of the possibilities [for the showroom],” said Alan Mimaki, business operations manager, Scion. “Maybe there is a trend emerging that we can incorporate in our existing designs.”
The competition is also being promoted on Scion-related Web sites such as the Scion enthusiast site, ScionLife.com. Entries will be judged in November by Scion executives and by Commune, a Los Angeles-based retail environment design firm. Judging will be based equally on four categories: creativity, manufacturability, functionality and appropriateness to the Scion brand and buyer.
“Scion’s about creativity and customization and we do a lot of [promotions] that emphasize those aspects,” Mimaki said “We want to get ideas from the creative community because its something we need to do to be able to stay ahead of the curve.” (PROMO Xtra, Aug. 9, 2006)
Torrance, CA-based Scion is a brand of Toyota. Los Angeles-based Inform Ventures, LLC, handles.
