Cannes Lions

FIAT 500

MOTION THEORY, Los Angeles / FIAT GROUP / 2012

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Film

Overview

Entries

Credits

Overview

Description

"Get Ready" was a film released in cinemas and digitally to help launch the Fiat 500 in North America. The spot features slick documentary-style footage capturing cranes, robotic arms and other factory machinery as beautiful precise objects whose movements create a mechanical ballet. The footage was meticulously edited with the music to create the perfect juxtaposition between car and car owner preparing to meet one another other. Editing techniques such as split-screen action and cross cutting to emphasize the fast-paced energy of the spot. As an Italian brand coming to the USA, the spot was set to a classic Vivaldi symphony piece, 'Concerto in D Major' and remixed by The Glitch Mob. At the end of the film there was a URL link for customers to go and check the delivery status of their FIAT 500. The car was released as an exclusive digital premiere - to the first Fiat 500 customers who bought the car as an effort to celebrate the anticipation and excitement of the iconic car. The campaign was released in cinemas, social sites, auto shows, art shows, nightclubs, and music festivals.

Execution

The first 500 FIAT 500’s were offered on Facebook for a down-payment of $500 without mentioning the final price. They were booked quickly. So started a series of communications that ran into months. Personal email updates from the Head of FIAT with photos of individual cars in different stages of production. Videos involving participation of eager customers-in-waiting were created (tapping into their anticipation and knowledge about the brand) and went viral. And finally, a grand music video — featuring people and car getting ready to meet each other — that premièred exclusively online leading them to the final delivery status.

Outcome

500 cars were sold within days of the Facebook promo. They were bought by people who were passionate and excited about the brand. With every piece of communication sent to them, they generated brand conversation via word-of mouth in social media. Almost none of these people dropped out and took delivery after a long wait. The final piece, the music video that led them to their delivery status and was exclusively premièred to them was spread by them. An effort worth half a million hits on YouTube in the first week. Besides, all this started to correct the old FIAT image of ‘uncool’ and bad service.

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