Try and Follow This

There is just something about the Fiat 500 Abarth that no other car in its segment has. It's out-gunned by the VW GTI, out-luxed by the Mini Cooper S, out-roomed by the Honda Fit, out-everything-ed by the Ford Focus ST, and out-teched by just about everything. Then why would I have this over anything else? It all comes down to style. Nothing about this car is conventional or conservative. It's hardly even practical, but it's Italian, it's sexy, and it's impossible not to smile when you are behind the wheel. Trust me, I've tried. It took three days to wipe the smile from my face after I test drove one of these.

But there's another reason I would choose this car over the infinitely more practical and refined VW GTI, or any other segment competitor; scarcity. I can't drive five miles without seeing half a dozen GTI's racing around, but as of the 500 Abarth's American launch nearly a year ago, I have yet to see a single unit anywhere but on the dealer's lot. If I had one, I would be the only one, and that's cool. Cool for me, but not for Fiat. As much as a want the mystique, I also want Fiat to succeed because I love what they do. But people don't see the 500 Abarth the same way I do. They see it as too small, too different, or they don't trust the brand because it hasn't been in the States for 30 years. So what can Fiat do to boost their image amongst potential customers? This is the ironic part.
Fiat's marketing team has launched a new campaign that tries to sell you a car that, from my observation, no one else has, by telling you that you can't have it. Not only can you not see a 500 Abarth on the road, because there aren't any, but you can't even follow one on Twitter. I mean it, you literally can't follow it on twitter. See for yourself.
Here's a look at the Abarth's twitter page, (Abarth 500) @Abarth500_DE.

Try and click the "Follow" link and you receive a message that you have been blocked from following the Abarth by the administrator. From a Marketing standpoint, I love this. It's creative, it's different, it's funny, and it's generated tons of buzz online. Good news for the Abarth. I just hope it has the desired, and coincidentally the opposite, effect on sales. As much as I want to be the only Abarth whizzing around the streets of Denver, I want the Abarth to succeed. I want more car companies to build cars that ooze style and smiles. The roads are full of boring, responsible, reliable cars. And there is room for those too. But I'd rather smile on my way to the shops.