The perfect combination of wit and charm?
Last night the Fiat brand launched a marketing and advertising campaign, the first since its return to the North American market with the 500. The campaign combines broadcast, print, digital and so called “experiential initiatives.” The introduction of a new tagline, “Simply More,” sets the tone for the campaign. The brand’s first national television commercial, “Drive-in,” ran Monday night on national and cable networks.
Drive-in uses “Jailhouse Rock,” a song made famous by Elvis Presley. The song was an instant hit when it was released in 1957, the same year as the introduction of the Fiat 500 in Europe. The 30-second television commercial combines old and new shots of the Fiat 500.
“Drive-in” allegedly introduces the concept of how compact vehicles can be “strong, beautiful and simple,” according to the company. Additional spots about vehicle features and capabilities will begin airing later this quarter.
“This campaign captures the perfect combination of wit and charm and is designed to engage current and potential customers, as well as increase brand and product awareness in key markets,” said Laura Soave, Head of Fiat Brand North America.
Print ads will have the following headlines:
• Form & Function meet. And begin a torrid affair
• Bigger isn’t better. It’s just harder to park.
• Life’s newest simple pleasure.
• 139.6 inches. Every one tells a story.
• On a scale from 1 to 10, it’s a 500.
Fiat also has a new web site – www.FiatUSA.com.
Creative materials were developed by Impatto, based in Southfield, Mich., the FIAT brand’s lead advertising agency.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
