Chapter 39. Youth is wasted on the young
Carmakers are wooing a new kind of consumer: one who’s too young to drive. Many are advertising in child-oriented areas such as gyms that cater to kids, social networking sites where young people hang out, and the Saturday morning cartoons. In Whyville.net, a digital world where nearly two million children aged 8 to 15 hang out, kids can buy virtual Scion xBs if they have enough “clams” (Whyville’s monetary unit). If not, they can meet with Eric, a virtual Toyota Financial Services adviser, to finance an xB replica they can use to tool around while in-world. Why bother pushing cars on kids? That’s easy: About one-third of parents say their children “actively participate” in car-buying decisions.
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