Zoolander Stars in Testa and Partners’ ‘Blue Steel’ for Fiat

By Erik Oster 

Ben Stiller stars as Derek Zoolander in “Blue Steel,” Testa and Partners’ new spot for the the 2016 Fiat 500X, which also serves to promote the February 12 release of Zoolander 2. 

The cross-promotional ad is the result of a partnership between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Paramount Pictures, following a similarly co-branded effort from W+K for the Dodge Durango and Anchorman 2, starring Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, in 2013. It also follows recent deals with Lionsgate for the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part Two and Lucasfilm for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In “Blue Steel,” Zoolander pulls up to a stoplight and notices that it is equipped with a camera. He flashes his signature look and is unable to stop himself from repeatedly returning to the light to play it up for the camera, eventually attracting police attention. A 60-second version of the spot made its debut last night during NBC’s coverage of the Golden Globe Awards, with a 30-second broadcast spot following in regular rotation. The vehicle is also reportedly featured prominently in the movie itself, and the spot makes for a more natural tie-in to the film franchise than the recent Star Wars and Hunger Games efforts.

“The car is part of the movie, the brand is part of the movie. So the more the movie will be seen, the better it is for the car and for the brand,” Fiat Chrysler Automobiles global CMO Olivier Francois told AdAge. “Derek Zoolander is super distinctive, sexy and trendy and fun. And that’s exactly the way I would describe Fiat.”

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