Marketers See Dollars When They Make It "All About Me"

On Friday, Marketing Daily reported that Scion has injected the “all about me” strategy into its advertising. In ads like “Be an icon, not an imitation” and “Be the original, not the copy,” the auto maker invites folks to become one of us by being none of us at an interactive website where the customer can create his or her personal “manifesto.” Scion execs say the effort is aimed at reaching "a new audience of creative urban consumers who are heavy into social media.”

Other examples are popping up here and there. Bank of America offers to emblazon your card with a personal photo. Production companies like Custom Print are enjoying success with web-to-print services that let customers hop online and order personalized print products (wedding favors, photos cards, gifts, posters, announcement, event products, photo calendar, and photo albums, etc.) that feature family photos. I just gotta be me!

• How long will it be before some automobile manufacturer offers custom detailing in the price of the car (the Japanese already go to extremes in pimping their transportation)?
• Meg Ryan and Posh Beckam have their signature hair styles, so why can't some forward-thinking hairdresser offer customers a "cut it, style it, name it, frame it" service to the rest of us?
• Would my favorite restaurant take my recipe, cook it up, and put it on the menu with my name?

You get the idea. I'm sensing creative movement in the “make it my own” marketing arena. What have you seen?

-- scrubbed by Marketing Brillo