La Dolce Fiat - Italian "estate" with a pool accent

The 500e (cinquecento in Italian), the 600 hybrid (seicento!), and Topolino (yes, that is the same in Italian, thank you) just went to the pool to celebrate the Italian "estate" (that is summer for you!) at the most Iconic ones in Beirut. Test drives on the outside, Italian Dolce Vita on the inside. These cars, not only breathe summer, but define it altogether. Sun, sea, waves, tans, and shopping at the rinascente for the essentials. Fine, omit that last one, but the full effect is still here. Insert the unmissiable "Volare" as it blares from the speakers and you have your summer ready-made courtesy of Fiat. Interestingly, in Lebanon Dolce Vita is rare, but one can create it - with the help of a Fiat. Top everything with those incredible hats... and refresh with branded water and an espresso cup designed just for the occasion.

Of Fiat 500 and handbags

I am still trying to understand it.

Are they emphasizing that the car is small? Because actually they should not. When a car is this small, you identify it as a strength rather than a weakness. Again, am trying to process why compare a car to a handbag. If they are trying to say it is a perfect accessory, well, then might as well say is so (you know "forget the handbag, the perfect accessory is a Fiat500"). That's the only way to salvage this ad. Also very interesting no more Fiat at what was for a very long time was their exclusive agent Saad & Trad - now it is Gargour Automotive otherwise known as the Jeep and Alfa Romeo dealers - also note Alfa used to be distributed by Bassoul & Hneine. Interesting, if you go to Gargour Automotive company, you will be met with the logo of T. Gargour & Fils (TGF) the dealers of Mercedes and Smart (here).

The Fiat ad can be found here.

Car companies new logos: rebranding away from 3D

Well, when everyone does it, it is no longer a novelty. But it seems everyone is doing it out of necessity. After the bigtime fad of the 3D quasi-airbrushed logos for car brands, in the last few months, no less than 10 different brands have announced new logos (Volvo, Nissan, BMW, Mini, Dacia, Renault, Kia, Peugeot, VolksWagen, and Fiat have all went this route).

Actually, I also read somewhere that Audi has filed papers for a new logo very much in line with the ones presented in the image above. What is interesting is that in all cases, suddenly a new 2D logo has appeared. Truth be told, there are many elements of similarity with these brands' old logos from the 60s/70s. However, nostalgia is certainly not the driving element to be sure. Rather, it is the new social media. 

Let me give you this design secret, long time ago (that would be till 2010 or so), to make sure a logo worked, we used to put it on the smallest surface on which it will be printed - namely the business card, if the logo was still visible then it was acceptable. Today, the smallest surface on which the logo will be displayed is no longer the business card but your Instagram handle. And the less complicated the logo, the more streamlined, simple, 2-Dimentional, the more you have the possibility of being immediately seen by your audience as everyone is competing for eyeballs. 

However, in defense of the car brands, each one tried to keep its own identity separate as opposed to clothing brands who went almost anonymous with their new logos (for some odd reason major luxury houses have decided to go the let-us-all-look-the-same route). If you do not believe me look at the image below.