
Scion is pulling out the big guns to promote and advertise the Scion iA and iM. If Lincoln's success with Matthew McConaughey is any indication of the potential effect of celebrity endorsement, Scion could be on the right track by hiring James Franco to endorse the its new products.
Franco's Scion iA and iM commercial plays on two sides of his public persona. One side is his image as a talented Oscar-nominated actor. The other side is his reputation as an experimental and quirky artist.
Truth be told, I'm not sure if Scion's products really play well to either of these two archetypes. First of all, I don't expect to see anyone in a tuxedo driving a Scion, ever. This is not the car for high-end Hollywood types. Second, I don't think it connects that well to creative types either. Both the iA and the iM are rebadged versions of the Toyota Auris and the Mazda2 sedan. Not exactly original.
At the end of they day, having Franco is an ad should translate to views on YouTube, and that can be considered a win for Scion.