Fiat Announces First EV to California

As every brand marketer knows, sex sells. And, if you're Fiat, you're suddenly aware that orange does, too.

The Italian brand has been mounting an uphill battle for mainstream awareness, brand recognition and sales in the United States since its little cars returned to American shores a couple of years ago under the aegis of Fiat's ownership of Chrysler and the keen sense of CEO Sergio Marchionne that the timing might be right for Fiat's reappearance in the US market.

Sex appeal has been a staple of Fiat's marketing, and it's no surprise that the brand is turning to it again in new campaigns for its Fiat 500 Abarth version and the new Fiat 500e all-electric vehicle that will be sold first only in California. From its "Seduction" ad a couple of years ago to the one it debuted early last year featuring a supermodel, her bikini top, a scorpion, and—oh, yes—the black-and-red Abarth, Fiat has been playing this card consistently.

Fiat just ran an ad in ESPN the Magazine's "The Body Issue" for the 500 Abarth Cabrio that employed the talent of graphic artists to fuse the shapes of human bodies, puzzle-like, into the shape of the car.

The ad has been so well-received that the brand may stick with the body-art theme. "We love the concept of the 'Body Paint' ad, and we're exploring other opportunities to give the ad life, so to speak, whether in print and/or online," Jason Stoicevich, head of the Fiat brand in North America, told Marketing Daily.
To introduce the EV to California, among other things, Fiat already ran an online video, "Sexy People," featuring a song by rapper Pitbull, singer Arriana, and bad boy actor Charlie Sheen, who had made a largely forgettable appearance in an earlier ad for the Fiat 500.

The aim of Fiat's overall "Environmentally Sexy" campaign to support the 500e launch in California "was basically to create a hand-raiser [web] site about the vehicle and some pre-qualification offers," Boris Stojanovic, creative director at digital agency SapientNitro, told the publication.
Meanwhile, Fiat is finding that, when it comes to orders for the 500e, the most popular of its four colors is Electric Orange. "We stand out," Stoicevich told USA Today. Not to be outdone, Fiat of Brazil has introduced a Bravo car that bears decals that mimic claw marks from the hero of the new movie The Wolverine.

Fiat is pulling out all the marketing stops these days. That's the price of admission in the hypercompetitive global auto business.

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