• by Karl Greenberg , June 13, 2007

Piaggio Group Americas is launching its largest campaign to date, supporting its Vespa brand in the U.S. The integrated campaign centers on a partnership with DreamWorks' and Paramount Pictures' "Transformers" major motion picture.

The campaign, tied with a national open house at Vespa dealerships, includes free movie tickets, an advertising campaign and a sweepstakes awarding a Vespa scooter.

Paolo Timoni, president/CEO of Piaggio Group Americas, says the effort is Piaggio's largest ever since the company returned to the U.S. market five years ago. It is also part of Piaggio's effort to grow the U.S. motor scooter market to a size similar to that of Europe and Asia.

Piaggio Group, part of Immsi S.p.A., leads the European two-wheeler market, per the company--and its Americas unit has some 300 dealers in the U.S. and over 20% share of the U.S. scooter market for Piaggio and Vespa scooters. Other Piaggio brands sold in the U.S. include Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Scarabeo.

Three years ago the company launched efforts in major cities touting Vespa as a fast, fuel-sipping mode of transportation where automotive congestion is the rule. "We needed to educate as many consumers as possible about the possibilities of transportation with Vespa--in everyday life," he says. "Consumers are getting used to $3-a-gallon gasoline, but not traffic congestion and not the difficulties of parking."

He says that in the movie, the hero--played by Shia LaBeouf--escapes from one of the protean mechanical horrors on a Vespa, which turns out to be the perfect escape vehicle because it is able to weave in and out of the apocalyptic wreckage of burning cars and rubble.

Timoni says that Vespa sales have grown 15% a year over the last four or five years, and that year to date, sales are up 20% versus 2006.

Vespa's iconic role was in the 1953 film "Roman Holiday," starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, in which the scooter on which the two tooled about became something of an emblem for Italian romance and a blithe, insouciant lifestyle. Timoni says the scooter's role in "Transformers" will be about Vespa as an American brand. "It's not about Italian good living."

The film, premiering on July 3, is also heavy in product placement from Chrysler Group and General Motors.

As part of the program, Piaggio will hold a national open house between June 14 and June 24, during which consumers who sign up to receive Vespa e-mails and bring a confirmation coupon to dealerships will receive a free movie ticket to see "Transformers" after they test-drive a Vespa. Dealerships will get POP, such as posters, giveaways and displays.

Piaggio is also running an online sweepstakes dangling a Vespa scooter. It is also running a print advertising campaign featuring "Transformers" creative to promote Vespa scooters. The ads will appear in motorcycle and scooter publications as well as online as part of the Internet campaign.