latest news headlines
Durham Marenghi Designs for Fiat
Fiat’s new baby was baptised this week in the biggest, gaudiest explosion of hype Turin has seen since the heyday of Benito Mussolini. It was 50 years to the day since the launch of the Fiat Cinquecento, the baby car that coaxed a generation of Italians off their scooters.
The ‘Topolino’ (‘Little Mouse’) helped set the fashion for tiny, chic city cars later exploited by BMC with the Mini. The car’s extravagant launch was both a birthday party for modern Italy, and an attempt to drive home the message that Fiat was in contention again.
“We have spit blood these past few years to clean up our act,’’ says Sergio Marchionne, the managing director given most credit for the turnaround, “and 4th of July is our new beginning. Three years of catharsis have enabled us to see the light again. We are the Apple of the car industry,’’ he boasted, “and the new Cinquecento will be our Ipod.’’
Lighting designer Durham Marenghi returned to Turin with production company K Events after their successful collaboration on the Winter Olympic ceremonies - to create a magnificent light show to celebrate the event.
The launch was watched by a live audience of over 100,000 Cinquecento fans and filmed by no less than 32 cameras for live HDTV broadcast on Italian Television. Christophe Berthonneau of Groupe F created a fantastic firework sequence to 'Whilst My Guitar Gently Weeps' and a stunning pyro finale for the event.
Executive producer for K Events was Marco Balich, set design was by Florian Boje and associate lighting designers were Nick Jones and Eneas Mackintosh. Programmers were Emilano Morgia and John Sinden and the production electrician for Italian suppliers Agora was Nicola-Manuel Tallino.
11th July 2007
HEADLINES
news archive
search stories
FOOTNOTE: Select the news type you require in the red band above; this will enable you to see the current news stories from that section
© 1999 - 2012 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories
