Viewpoint Studios Intros Racy TV Work for Vespa

Viewpoint Studios is set to break its first TV effort for Vespa/Piaggio USA.

The Needham, Mass., agency targets young consumers who may not be familiar with Vespa scooters, which were reintroduced in the U.S. about two years ago after a 15-year absence. The scooter is positioned as a slick, smaller alternative to cars or motorcycles. Piaggio USA is a division of Pisa, Italy-based Piaggio.

One 30-second spot, set in a backyard on a summer afternoon, opens with a young man appearing to heap praise on a woman reading in a nearby lawn chair. “You will take me places I’ve never been before,” he says in an Italian accent as he praises “her” curves and sleek figure. “Your petite but powerful body will purr with excitement when we are together.”

When he continues, “I must mount you now,” the camera pans out to reveal a shiny Vespa scooter, which he climbs aboard. “That’s weird,” she tells him, a look of disbelief on her face.

The new tagline, “Life’s better with Vespa,” closes out the spot.

“It’s a sexy ad, but more than anything, we want to show that the Vespa’s a perfect mode of transportation,” said copywriter Mark Guzman. The commercial will run through the summer on network and cable stations, and more spots are in the works, Guzman said. Spending was not disclosed.

Glen Owen of Storyville Pictures in Santa Monica, Calif., directed.

The Newport Beach, Calif., company tapped Viewpoint in late spring for the assignment.

In April, Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners in San Francisco launched a sexually charged outdoor campaign for Vespa in Northern California. Amster Yard in New York also launched a regional print effort in May for Vespa of Greater New York. The De Plano Group, New York, also works on the business.