Their reactions are genuine – filmed with hidden cameras at a specially-staged fake fitting. And after scenes showing models being made up and dressed in body-skimming lace and luxury fabrics, Pirelli's latest film promoting its premium P Zero tyre cuts to a line-up of three girls on a sofa looking fed up with the whole situation. One then kicks the shoebox she's been given off the table.
The 30-second film – the first in a series of five – offers an amusing insight into the demands of the fashion world, where nothing less than Louboutins and Manolos will do. Divas, it seems, hate wearing the wrong shoes.
Engineering the perfect fit The film draws a parallel between shoes and tyres. In particular, for those in its ultra high-performance P Zero range, which are tailored to give a perfect fit for individual makes of car. The film ends with a white Lamborghini racing out of its garage shod, of course, in custom-made P Zero.
The elite P Zero tyre first took shape 30 years ago, since when countless variations have evolved. Pirelli works with the most prestigious car manufacturers, including Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes, McLaren and Porsche, to develop tyres that meet the specific needs of each different car model. That's in terms of both performance (braking, steering response) and comfort (noise, handling).
It is high-end manufacturing carried out by the company's advanced technical teams and harnessing the latest R&D. But Pirelli has always sought to emphasise the “cool” side of engineering. It's a technical product with a soul. And this is a campaign designed to celebrate an esteemed product after 30 years at the top of its game.
Storytelling approach
There will be plenty more cars – and models – to come in Pirelli's digital campaign, in which five films will be aired on TopGear.com, Pirelli.com and social media channels over the next months. The storylines are still under wraps, but we know one is filmed at Milan Fashion Week while another involves a car race in Munchen. The tyre maker will also be airing behind-the-scenes footage to give a flavour of what went on during filming.
While the models are very 2016, Pirelli's advertising link with shoes actually dates back to 1994, when the American athlete Carl Lewis – who won 10 Olympic medals, nine of them gold – made headlines for donning red high heels for a Pirelli print advertisement under the slogan “Power is nothing without control”. A reminder that storytelling has always been important to Pirelli as a way of demonstrating the passion and flair behind its products.
The ultimate accessory
The year has been one of celebrations for the P Zero, with the opening of a dedicated store in Los Angeles (and a further one to come in Melbourne next year) as well as a host of special events.
The tyres have even been given their own digital hub under the slogan “Accessorise them with your favourite car”. Along with product and background information, there's a quote from Horacio Pagani, the Argentine founder and chief designer of niche Italian car maker Pagani Automobili, that reinforces the current campaign. “P Zero are the shoes that allow a car to express itself,” he says.
Expressing yourself. Shoes. Now these are things our favourite divas know all about.
