Gray is no longer to Fiat’s taste. The Italian carmaker, owned by the Stellantis group, announced on Monday its decision to stop production of gray cars, as part of a redesign of its brand image. In keeping with the Italian “dolce vita,” the automaker now wants to promote more colorful vehicles.
The ad is accompanied by an advertising campaign, shot in a city in the colors of Italy. We see a gray Fiat submerged in a huge tank… only to come out orange. All accompanied by music with Dolce Vita accents and a new slogan: “taly, the land of Colours, Fiat, the brand of Colours” (“Italy, the country of colors, Fiat, the brand with Colours”).
With this announcement, Fiat wishes to “reaffirm the values of the brand’s New Dolce Vita” and “reinforce” its new qualities: “joy, colors and optimism”. to accompany this rebrandOn July 4, a new model will be presented, the FIAT 600e, an electric car intended “for families and friends.”
Grey, the favorite color of Europeans
Still, this decision is surprising. In fact, despite an abysmal choice in terms of vehicle colors, consumers have a strong tendency to choose neutral tones. According to a report by Axalta, in 2022, buyers around the world favored white shades, whether pearl or solid, with 34%. It is followed by black, preferred by 21% of consumers and, in third position, gray tones, with 19%.
And in Europe, the color that is by far the most preferred on the market is… grey! It attracts 27% of the consumers of the Old Continent.
“Buyers choose neutral colors, which facilitate future resale. If you are offered a car and given a choice, you will take it red, yellow. If it’s your investment, you’ll go for white, black or grey,” explained Christophe Couture. , laboratory manager in the paint department for manufacturers at BASF France, told BFMTV.
The colored cars arrive last at the studio. While the color red was chosen by 5% of Europeans, green and yellow were only favored by 1% of the population each.
So a double publicity stunt or more for FIAT, as color and overall exterior aesthetics remain important criteria in vehicle buying decisions for most French people.
Source: BFM TV
