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Toyota Shows Prius: candy-apple red, with rhinestones & pink hearts

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Aegison, Aug 6, 2009.

  1. Aegison

    Aegison Member

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    Belongs in the "what were they thinking" (or, were they thinking) section if there was one.
    Full article at:
    Toyota, Honda target women to revive sales | detnews.com | The Detroit News

    "
    Toyota, Honda target women to revive sales

    Makiko Kitamura and Kae Inoue / Bloomberg News

    More than 300 young women, sporting dyed hair and heavy make-up crowded into a Toyota Motor Corp[​IMG]. showroom, peering at a Prius hybrid.
    It was painted candy-apple red and decorated with rhinestones and heart-shaped pink stickers.
    "I'm not really interested in cars," said Erika Horiki, 23, wearing a cowboy hat, fringed boots and denim shorts. "But by making us think these cars are cute, it's a step toward becoming curious."



    see link for rest of article ...
     
  2. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    [​IMG]

    Yummy. I would buy my girlfriend one of those... if she buys me a blue Prius.
    Look at the emblem.
     
  3. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    "If I was with my friends and my boyfriend pulled up in a car to pick me up, I'd feel kind of embarrassed," she said. "The idea that having a car is cool is kind of outdated."
     
  4. Tech_Guy

    Tech_Guy Class Clown

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    I'd be perfectly happy if Toyota would sell in the U.S. the 2010 Prius in non-metallic "Solid White" as they are currently doing in Europe.

    Keith
     
  5. ml194152

    ml194152 Member

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    Solid white? Did you miss the whole point of this article? Its about time Toyota gives us some FUN colors for a change. Something bright and pretty and cheerful. I've had enough of boring colors like solid white, 10 shades of grey, funeral black, ...
     
  6. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    HEY!
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  7. Tamyu

    Tamyu New Member

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    I am always in favor of a wider selection of colors for a car. The more "interesting" the better. Not only does it make it easier to for your car to be "unique" in appearance and stand out in a crowd (of cars)... It`s just more fun.
    We`re still waiting on our Prius, but I drive THIS now and would love for there to be some sort of bright entertaining color for the Prius too.
    (Car pictured isn`t mine, but same make, model, and color)

    Fun colors are fun!
     
  8. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    Whatever it takes to sell more Priuses to the public. If Toyota can get 1% more of the population to buy a Prius by offering it with the paint job in this photo, then that means X thousands of more Priuses being sold. And, if they offer ten more fancy paint jobs that each get 1% of the population to buy a Prius, then were up to 11%. That's huge! I think Toyota is onto something here... :welcome::cheer2:
     
  9. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    To call Prius paint colors boring is a gross understatement!!

    But given the typical Prius buyer, that might be a deliberate marketing decision. And Toyota is not known for being an adventurous car company anyway.

    Nevertheless, spicing up the Prius to appeal to a younger, hipper crowd can't be such a bad move.

    I would go for a purple one myself.
     
  10. ml194152

    ml194152 Member

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    Now THAT is a nice shade of color, Tamyu! I love it.

    I think my favorite color would be a 1972 Porsche 914 color: Olympic Blue. It was a beautiful shade of light blue.

    I know, people are going to say "just go get your Prius painted". But who wants to have to spend an extra $1000?
     
  11. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    I think the thing people need to keep in mind is we are talking about a marketing approach being applied in Japan.

    There is a difference in psychology, socialolgy, culture and economy in Japan as opposed to the US and elsewhere. I don't think this type of marketing would go over well in The US. But I also don't see the same "problem" here. Young Americans love cars. All generations have grown up near the open pavement of a freeway.

    Toyota has tried to connect with younger buyers through the Scion line, with varying degrees of success, but not much has to be done to get a young person in America to want to drive, or want to have a car.

    I don't think a feminized fashion show approach to selling a Prius is necessary in The US.

    As far as the reality of the product? Whatever is available and whatever people want, is fine with me. I don't think the point of the article or the presentation was really to offer a mainstream product, the point was to try and get young Japanese women interested in The Prius. If that takes a fashion show, and a Prius painted candy apple red with stickers? I guess I have no problem with that, but it does seem like Toyota likes to emasculate the Prius at every opportunity.