Automobile manufacturer Scion is building hype around its new iQ model with a series of mobile video advertisements that let consumers learn more about the car.

The ads are part of a larger marketing campaign from Scion that includes television, Web and social media and is aimed at connecting with a younger generation of consumers. Scion is working with AdColony on this campaign with ads running inside iOS and Android apps, including the Type N Talk iPhone app.

?We are running multiple product-based videos to highlight the iQ's many unique features in innovative design, compact size and driving dynamics,? said Nancy Inouye, advertising manager for Scion, Torrance, CA.

?Our consumers are highly engaged in emerging media, and we recognize that mobile video is one of the key drivers of engagement with our audience,? she said.

Scion is a brand of Toyota Motor Corporation and manufactures cars that are aimed at young consumers.

Drive on mobile
The mobile video ads are running as pre-rolls that play when consumers open the app.

A series of four 15-second ads are running to highlight the car?s compact size.

Compared to other mobile video campaigns, the Scion campaign is unique because different ads are served to users each time they open the app.

Mobile video is an immersive adverting experience, which translates into traditionally high completion rates.

However, mobile video ads also run the risk of being repetitive if overplayed, and with the small screen of mobile devices, it is important for videos to keep users entertained or they are likely to leave the experience.

AdColony claims that because of its different approach to mobile video, it outperforms other online and mobile video units ten to fifty times.

?Mobile video ads marry the sight, sound and motion of television with the interactivity of online to create the ultimate brand advertiser experience with consumers,? said Nikao Yang, senior vice president of marketing and sales at AdColony, Los Angeles.

?The incredible adoption rate of the iPhone, iPad and Android devices coupled with the opportunity to deliver targeted, high-impact messaging to consumers with mobile video ads makes it almost unthinkable for a brand today to not have a mobile video advertising strategy,? he said.

Savvy drivers
Additionally, the mobile video stands out compared to other campaigns because users must watch the video clip before they have an option to interact further with the brand. Making users watch the complete video not only reinforces the brand, it might also help ad recall later.

Once the video finishes playing, consumers can choose to replay the video, learn more or continue on to the app?s content.

Users who want to learn more are redirected to a mobile landing page where they can view information and images on the car?s features, read reviews and comparison shop with other Scion cars.

The Scion iQ retails for approximately $16,000 and is aimed at consumers aged 18 to 34-years old, making digital marketing a large emphasis area for the company.

?Scion has always actively sought to leverage innovative emerging media forms to communicate the brand's value proposition to its consumers,? Scion?s Ms. Inouye said.

?It comes as no surprise that our youth target is actively engaged in mobile and other forms of new media,? she said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York