THE FLESH-AND-FOLD-MOBILE

A dozen body-painted artist/models contort themselves into a Fiat 500 Abarth

The car is cute, fun to drive and the ads you've seen on TV are already interesting in a way that makes them stand out from run-of-the-mill commercials.  But this latest ad, in  which a dozen very flexible people get painted and then crouch, twist and bend themselves into a passable replica of a Fiat 500 Abarth is more than just clever.  Midas not only shook hands with the ad agency people who came up with this golden idea, he sat in on the meeting….

FIAT Brand North America unveils a one-of-a-kind print ad this week when it debuts "Body Paint" in this year's annual ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue. The visually stunning print ad features more than a dozen female artists, models and contortionists to recreate the image of a Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio. The annual edition of ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue (07/22) will be on newsstands starting Wed., July 10.

 "'Body Paint' allowed us to take part in a unique collaboration with a multinational sports company that connects the FIAT brand with sports and car enthusiasts across the globe," said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, Chrysler Group LLC, and Fiat Group Automobiles Head of Fiat Brand.

 "Our ideal execution is when a client creates an ad that works so well within the context of our environment," said Eric Johnson, ESPN executive vice president, multimedia sales. "Not only is this a creative win, it thematically ties in perfectly with ESPN The Magazine's annual Body Issue."

 "We wanted to create a concept for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue that was as visually unique as the Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio," said Jason Stoicevich, Head of FIAT Brand North America. "The notion of the 'Body Paint' print ad conveying athletic grace in a magazine that specifically devotes itself to covering athletes around the world sparked a perfect union for the FIAT Brand."

If the uniqueness of this ad has provoked an interest in the car itself, as it was designed to do, click here for all the information you could possibly want.  And if you'd like to see some of the other clever commercials for this car, see below.  Small wonder this is the biggest automotive hit since they re-introduced the Mini Cooper.