FIAT | Love Affair | 2017
You Can't Help But Smile / FIAT "Love Affair"
A woman pauses in front of a puddle. Stepping out of her red 124 Spider, she realizes her high heels are about to get soaked. That's when the man parked next to her, driving a 500X, lays his jacket down over the puddle. Then his shirt. Then his jeans. Until he's down to just his underwear. And then comes that scene — the woman deliberately spills her coffee. His right eyebrow twitches up in a priceless expression.
The insight
FIAT wanted to position itself as a brand that "captivates hearts," highlighting the AWD performance of the 500X and the turbo engine of the 124 Spider. But instead of leading with specs, they chose to turn a universal human exchange — chivalry mixed with a bit of mischief — into comedy. The insight aimed for something "the whole world, every single person, would watch and can't help but smile at," striking a careful balance that's neither too on-the-nose nor too slapstick.
The idea
A white 500X is parked on a wet road, with a red 124 Spider behind it. A man in a suit notices that the woman stepping out has wet ground under her feet, so he gets out of his car, takes off his jacket, and lays it over the puddle. She walks across it, but her next step lands in water again. So he takes off his shirt and lays that down too. Still not enough, so off come his pants, leaving him in just his boxers. As they lock eyes, the woman calmly pours out the coffee from her paper cup onto the ground, her gaze dropping to his underwear. The twitch of his right eyebrow — a tiny, almost theatrical flash of confusion — is what gives this ad its punch. The cars themselves stay in the background, while the focus is squarely on the charm and personality of "the kind of person who drives a FIAT." After the line "Start a love affair," the scene cuts back to the man still standing there in his underwear, when a black Abarth pulls up beside him and the driver calls out, "Looks a little cold out there."
What happened
The ad was created by Doner (Detroit) and released in March 2017. No specific performance figures could be confirmed.
Afterthought
In Japan, I doubt an ad could go quite this far — it would probably end up leaning more comedic. But I think it's exactly this fine line that gives it the power to work anywhere in the world. There's nothing especially clever or shocking about it, yet everyone who watches it ends up with the same little smile. That universality is what makes advertising — and honestly, people — so interesting.
