No shades of grey for Fiat

Operation no grey is what Fiat are calling their new colour campaign.

In a world that is still holding onto their love of all things grey, especially in the UK where the most popular car colour for the past 5 years has been grey, Fiat have decided that they are no longer going to make their small car models using grey.

Why is that?  

Because Fiat wants us to live a more colourful life with colours “inspired by the Italian Sea, Sun, Earth and Sky”.

Fiat is no stranger to colourful cars. You may remember back in 2013 Fiat launched a range of new colours for their Fiat 500. At the time I was invited to collaborate with them on what was a world-first Facebook Fashion App. One that combines the world of fashion and cars. I was brought into the  campaign to help explain the psychological traits that help define what colours people are attracted to and what it means about their personality.

In the 2013 campaign there was a sombre grey in the mix, but now it appears Fiat is saying no to grey, no matter what the shade.

This recent announcement that Fiat is banning grey in all their small car models has caused ripples in the UK car world given the popularity of the colour.

This ban was a hot topic in the UK media last week and I did a number of interviews for UK newspapers and BBC radio on the topic. One of the thoughts I shared was whether grey was actually a colour Fiat’s target would actually go for considering their customers for small cars are usual young at heart, fun loving people, I suspect not.

So it would make sense to stop producing their small cars in grey if it wasn’t a big seller (which I’m guessing it wasn’t).

However given greys popularity in the wider UK car market, it was clever of Fiat to create an entire marketing campaign around it because it made everyone ask – why would they do that given grey is such a big seller? 

And it a master stroke to have Fiat’s CEO, Olivier Francois in a grey car being dunked in a vat of orange!

Francois says the change was to “enhance the importance of colours in life, embodying the Italian way of living”. He was also quoted as saying they were disrupting the market by removing grey.

My question to Francois is, if they are looking to show the colourful Italian life, why are they keeping black and white? How do these colours fit in with their colourful life philosophy of “joy, optimism, love, passion, life”?

To remove these two colours, now that would truly be disrupting the market.

So what do you think, yay or nay to ditching the grey?

And if you could pick any colour for your car, what would it be?

For me it’s hands down a bright sunshine yellow, which is always happy and cheerful. And it would probably be a convertible. Oh the fun we would have going on lots of mini adventures!

I love collaborating with brands on their new colour ranges, bringing their colours to life. If you would like me to collaborate with you on your next colour campaign, drop me an email: karen at karenhaller.com

Colourfully yours,
Karen

Fiat ‘Operation No Grey’ video: watch here.