[ad_1]
At the end of June, Olivier Francois, the CEO of Italian car brand Fiat made a bold declaration: “Fiat will no longer produce gray cars.”
It was a brave statement, given the shade’s popularity among drivers in Europe. However, it was made even braver because Francois made the rallying cry sitting inside a Fiat 600 that was being plunged into a tin of luminous orange paint.
The ad, created by Leo Burnett Italia, was a year in the making according to Francesco Martini, the agency’s executive creative director (ECD).
“It’s both a stunt and a brand manifesto,” Martini told Adweek, saying it was part of the Turin-based manufacturers’ “Dolce Vita for All” brand ethos, which pits its cars as a vessel to enjoy life’s little pleasures each day.
It’s already courted praise from creatives globally, and it’s quickly proving to be effective from brand standpoint too. According to analytics firm System1, “Operation No Gray” soared into the top 3% of U.K. car ads within days.
When it comes to consumer reactions, it’s also the top-scoring 90-second-plus car ad that System1 has ever analyzed with 90% of viewers recalling the brand correctly after just one viewing.
To be memorable, was not important. It was the only thing that mattered.
Francesco Martini, ECD, Leo Burnett Italia
System 1’s chief customer officer (CCO) Jon Evans revealed on LinkedIn that consumers had rated the ad 3.6 stars overall due owing to its two-minute length. However, he said the 30-second version would likely result in a much higher rating in a high-spend category where the average is 2.7 stars.
“It’s about time, as we’ve been waiting a very long time for a half decent car ad,” he added.
A creative dream
Shot in the vibrant Italian Riviera town of Lerici, Fiat’s hero creative is both an ode to color and to Italy. “Italy is joy, optimism, love, passion, life,” Francois tells the audience, breaking the fourth-wall, “And what has gray got to do with all that? Nothing.”
Francois came to Leo Burnett with a single brief, to come up with a way to communicate that it would no longer sell gray vehicles.
“The brief was extremely easy on one side and extremely challenging on the other,” explained Martini. “We had to communicate unique news in a memorable and iconic way. It’s what every creative dreams and fears at the same time.”
