-By Steve Miller

Since its inception in 2003, Scion has gained many fans that have starred in an expansive, multiplatform campaign for the auto brand. A new initiative breaks on Monday with a cinema spot, "Declaration," slated to appear in 13,200 theaters.

The campaign, called "United by Individuality," via Attik, San Francisco, uses creative that was shot in the Nevada desert. The first round of print ads in September issues of Vice, Tokion and Revolver magazines will include a spread with the words: "Individuality Runs in the Family." The ads show an aerial shot of 200 Scion owners' vehicles on one side and 100 more shown in profile on the other side.

Subscribers to Tokion, a 150,000-circulation arts and lifestyle publication that caters to younger readers, will receive special issues with their name emblazoned on a Scion featured on the cover.

Additionally, billboards appearing in 22 markets will show a Scion car belonging to an individual, with the owner's name written on the board.

Thirty and 60-second TV spots, breaking Aug. 4, will air on Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, Spike and other lifestyle-oriented networks. The spots show Scions gathered in a desert and the familiar "What moves you?" question flashes on the screen. The answer follows: "United by individuality."

"The principal of this campaign is community," said Simon Needham, creative director at Attik. He noted that over the years, the number of car owners who customize their cars has grown, especially younger consumers. Scion has always offered customization; ready-to-apply parts can be purchased at dealer and include shifters, panels and lighting.

But since customization has become more popular among owners of other cars, Scion found another pitch for consumers. "We sat down and thought about how to stay ahead of the crowd," Needham said. "And it was [a] sense of community . . . that these are all owners who want to differentiate themselves."

While the manufacturer delivers smaller cars that offer good fuel economy, so far the Scion demographic–average age of 35, male and deeply immersed in alternative arts–has not changed.

"When we look at our buyers over the last six months, we are still seeing the younger buyer, our same demographic," said Dawn Ahmed, corporate brand manager for Scion. "We do like to track that to make sure we are marketing to the right people."

Scion's sales have rebounded this year, due in part to a refresh of existing models. After dropping 24.8% last year, sales were up 8% through June, per Autodata, Woodcliff Lake, N.J.

The campaign will see a new wave of creative in a few months, when the TV buys halt. But the "United by Individuality" theme will remain for the entire 18 months of the effort.

Scion, which is owned by Toyota, spent $30 million on U.S. ads last year (not including online) and $10 million through May, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.