The Clio Key Art Awards awarded gold to the FIAT brand and Paramount Pictures for the co-branded “Zoolander 2” advertising campaign featuring the Fiat 500X and Derek Zoolander. The FIAT brand and Paramount Pictures campaign was the only campaign taking gold in the “Theatrical Partnerships” category. The co-branded promotional advertising collaboration launching the Fiat 500X crossover, featuring international supermodel Derek Zoolander as the face of the campaign, spanned across television, digital and social media platforms.
The campaign competed for the gold award with Audi and Marvel Studios “The Chase” campaign featuring Captain America, among others, in the entertainment field. The Clio Key Art Awards are given out for excellence in creative marketing for the entertainment industry.
“Our marketing approach at FCA is to continually strive to be different, to break conventions and to do so with one clear objective – one shared also by Derek Zoolander – to be noticed,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, FCA – Global. “Receiving the only gold in the Clio Key Art Awards ‘Theatrical Category’ for our partnership with Paramount Pictures shows that our marketing efforts continue to turn heads. We will maintain this approach as we passionately look forward to what’s down the road.”
Directed by Jeff Mann (“Zoolander 2”), the campaign’s co-branded television commercial, with background music from Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax (Don’t Do It),” is located on a city street corner where Derek Zoolander sets off a traffic camera. And because he’s Derek Zoolander, he’s got a decidedly different take on how to deal with the situation. While others may lament their bad fortune, he seizes it as an opportunity, hilariously backing up the Fiat 500X multiple times to perfect his “blue steel” pose for the camera. When approached by a police officer, his response is typical Zoolander, saying, “I know. I was driving while hot.” The campaign was created in partnership with Trailer Park.
As part of the campaign’s social initiative, Derek Zoolander also took over FIAT’s Twitter feed on Feb. 12, 2016. To see a collection of the tweets, click here.
Olivier Francois was recently named as Adweek’s Brand Genius in the Automotive category, the first time any chief marketing officer has been awarded the distinctive honor more than once. He was awarded Grand Brand Genius in 2012. This year’s Brand Genius Awards will be held in New York City on Oct. 25.
Held in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, the Clio Key Art Awards event was hosted by comedian and actress Amy Sedaris. Click here for a list of winners in the category.
