• by Tanya Gazdik , March 31, 2010

Toyota Motor Sales USA's Scion brand debuted a new six-part Web-exclusive video series which features contestants trying to come up with the most original, inspiring and practical car possible. 

"Reinvent The Wheels" offers aspiring creatives the opportunity to work with professional garages. Contestants are given a budget and paired with a team of professional tuners to design and build a car. The winning team's stand-out contestant will win a Scion car, accessories, and a $30,000 cash prize.

The primary objective of the campaign is to connect with the trendsetting, creative 18-24 age group in a nontraditional, innovative way, says Nancy Inouye, Scion advertising and media manager.

"Youths are very savvy and they know when they are being marketed to by companies," Inouye tells Marketing Daily. "In addition, since they spend a tremendous amount of time online and on social networking sites, we wanted to create an experience that was both engaging and entertaining while leveraging the strength of online media."

Audiences can tune into the series via their mobile phones, online and at Facebook, YouTube. The series premiered this week. Scion will promote the show through a multiplatform campaign including social media, TV, print, billboard and interactive ads.

Each finalist will be paired with a car tuner shop and the team will be given a budget to bring the artist's vision to a reality. Surprise challenges give the contestants the opportunity to win additional time to put toward customizing their car.

The series is hosted by Angie Greenup, best known for her work on E! network, Fearnet and Spike TV. Los Angeles tattoo artist ZULU will serve as mentor to the contestants. The judges include music producer Damon Elliott, graphic artist Patrick Janicke and fashion critic Jennifer Egan.

Agency partners include global creative agency San Francisco-based Attik and entertainment public relations firm Rogers & Cowan.