The Fiat brand has had a slew of notable celebrity campaigns. From the 2011 ads featuring J-Lo singing "Papi" to the 2013 spots with Pitbull and Arianna singing "Sexy People," the automaker is always focused on securing its reputation as a trendsetter. Now, the brand is going even bigger than ever before with its 2014 global campaign for the new four-door Fiat 500L. Fiat is known for fusing style and function to create quality yet stylish vehicles that have a long lifespan with proper vehicle maintenance, and its new high-performance automobile is no exception. With a fuel-saving transmission, sleek Italian design, and a 160-horsepower Turbo engine, this car takes driving dynamics to a new level. So it makes sense that the brand would choose hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs as the face of its new campaign, which debuts Feb. 13.
Sufficient star power
Not only will Diddy be driving the 500L, but he'll also be promoting Aquah?ydrate, his brand of performance water, as well as his Revolt TV network. As if that weren't enough excitement for one ad, the spot will feature Pharrell Williams' hit Academy Award-nominated song "Happy" in the background. This is a significant campaign for Fiat as it will be introducing the 500L's tagline, "Unbelievably big." Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for the Chrysler Group LLC, noted that Diddy was a fitting choice for the new campaign considering the entrepreneur's ability to think big, and also due to the role that pop culture has played in Fiat's brand image.
The 500L is meant to offer maximum comfort and convenience, as is evident by the 42 percent extra interior space, two additional doors and spacious seating.
An innovative ad
The 60-second commercial features a pair of men lost in the desert, trekking across a desolate landscape. Suddenly, two 500L's drive past them. Diddy, surrounded by beautiful women, calls out to them and offers bottled water with "Happy" blaring from the sound system. The two wanderers assume this must be a mirage brought on by their exhaustion and the intense heat. The duo later discovers a bumping Revolt TV party hosted by Diddy. The men still refuse to believe that this is reality, as the parked Fiats have four doors, and as everyone knows, these cars traditionally only have two.
"Mirage" is merely the first ad in a series by Fiat, which are aimed at boosting awareness of the 500L and its differences from the original 500. This vehicle was first launched in the U.S. last June, and according to Automotive News, the automaker saw a 29 percent sales increase by January due to its release, despite the fact that sales of the regular 500 remained flat.