Guerlain designs perfume-inspired Fiat to appeal to fashionistas on the go

By Sarah Jones

March 5, 2014

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Fiat 500

French perfumer Guerlain has partnered with Italian car company Fiat on a line of limited-edition Fiat 500 models exclusively for the French market.

The line bears feminine touches and incorporates the icon from Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noire Eu de Parfum, which translates to little black dress. It is rare for an automaker to put out a line of female-focused cars, so this will likely get the attention of fashion-conscious women looking for a vehicle that reflects their style.

“It is Guerlain which initiated this collaboration,” said Elisabeth Sirot, international public relations and press director forGuerlain worldwide. “The Petite Robe Noire was looking for her car.

“[The intended consumer is] an active, urban woman who likes the feminine and reassuring side of this car, very practical, easy to park and still very trendy.”

Feminine touchThe Guerlain Fiat 500 models are available in white and metallic black. Consumers can also choose between the Fiat 500 with panoramic sunroof or the 500C convertible.

All of the models include the silhouette of a woman in a little black dress and wide-brimmed hat on the dashboard and the back wings. The image was taken from the sketched figure that Guerlain uses to promote its La Petite Robe Noire fragrance.

Guerlain Fiat 500 exterior

Underneath the figure on the back of the car is the Guerlain brand name and the words La Petite Robe Noire. Once these cars are on the road, they will act as advertising and the consumers who purchased them will be ambassadors of the brand and fragrance.

Inside of all of the vehicles are interiors upholstered by Poltrona Frau, an Italian furniture maker that provides the leather for Fiat 500 seats, as well as some Ferrari, Audi, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Maserati and Lexus models.

Keeping in mind the target fashionable consumer, Guerlain and Fiat included a clothing rack on the back of the passenger seat.

Guerlain Fiat 500 interior

Fiat created a dedicated microsite for the Guerlain models, providing a destination to learn about the cars that was styled differently from the general Fiat Web site.

Guerlain Fiat microsite

On the microsite, the car is presented to consumers as “the piece that was missing from my wardrobe.”

A consumer can view detailed photos of the car and enter her preference of car and contact information to be notified when the vehicle she wants is available to purchase.

The line became available in the French market March 1. The list price on the model with a sunroof is approximately $21,500, with the convertibles listed at around $25,400.

In addition to the Guerlain touches, consumers can configure her chosen car with an upgraded sound system, bi-xenon headlights, privacy glass or other features.

Fiat released 50 vehicles in preview, giving consumers the opportunity to commit before the official release date through its microsite.

The release is timed to line up with the launch of Guerlain’s new La Petite Robe Noire Eu de Parfum Couture, a new take on the fragrance with raspberry, floral and woody notes.

Consumers who purchase the limited-edition Guerlain Fiat 500s will receive a set of three La Petite Robe Noire fragrances, including the eu de parfum, eu de toilette and new eu de parfum couture. In addition, they will receive a bag containing Guerlain makeup and exclusive accessories.

Guerlain gift with purchase

Fiat is promoting this car on its French Facebook page, giving Guerlain the opportunity to greet a new audience.

Facebook post from Fiat France

Auto elevationTypically car partnerships are geared toward men, as brands recruit men’s fashion designers to make products based on particular vehicles or adding a stylish touch to a car in the automaker’s line.

For instance, German automaker BMW is polishing the appeal of its BMW i8 model with an exclusive luggage line crafted by Louis Vuitton.

The luggage set includes two travel bags, a business case and a garment bag, and was crafted to mesh with the i8. Since the i series represents both an engineering and philosophical shift for BMW, gaining seals of approval from highly-respected brands helps to usher in the change (see story).

Ermenegildo Zegna and Fiat’s Maserati are cross-marketing their Italian brands through a long-term design partnership to produce 100 limited-edition vehicles and offer Zegna customization options.

Zegna and Maserati signed on for a three-year partnership during which they will launch the Maserati Quattroporte by Ermenegildo Zegna and let consumers choose from new bespoke options for all models. Similar to other fashion marketers who have partnered with automakers, Zegna could get the most from this collaboration since it will raise brand awareness among its target audience of affluent men via Maserati showrooms (see story).

The Zegna limited edition Maseratis will be unveiled officially at the Geneva International Motor Show that begins March 6.

This partnership between Guerlain and Fiat works the same way as Zegna’s custom Maserati, aligning a lifestyle brand with a car company that fits its aesthetic.

“There are only 250 models on the French market,” Ms. Sirot said. “The association works, as the drawing of the Petite Robe Noire made for the Fiat fits the image of the Fiat in France.”