Fiat and Social Media Both Attempt to Revive the Great American Drive-in

Style over performance
Contrast this with what BMW's MINI brand did when it was establishing itself in the USA. The equally iconic ride -- the new MINI updated the legendary Alec Issigonis design from the late 1950s and early 1960s. MINI stressed the joys of motoring -- a natural extension of BMW's "ultimate driving machine" reputation.

While the new Fiat 500 drives pretty well, what it really has going for it is compact, Italian style. And if you want to put that up again a lot of other cars on the road, what better place that in an old-school drive-in movie theater?

In fact, Fiat is planning to purpose-build a special 500 drive-in, to showcase the car and the concept.

Given that both I and my BNET colleague Jim Motavalli has expressed some skepticism about how the 500 will be marketed, this could be an interesting way to go, to avoid wandering too far down the nostalgia path without making it notably different.

But aren't drive-ins on the way out?

Sure, drive-ins are a vanishing feature of the U.S. landscape. But they've been staging a minor comeback of late, powered by social media. This is from a local newspaper in Colorado:

While the churning of the gravel under your tires and feet at the 88 has the feel of an old country road, it's the thoroughly 21st-century digital aesthetics that help it reach out to residents who may not even know there's a drive-in theater around town.

Since launching a Facebook page in April ahead of the start of the season, the 88 Drive-In has amassed more than 1,880 'Likes' and is slowly growing the number of wired film fans checking in via Foursquare.

Down in Pueblo, the Mesa Drive-In has three screens running to serve a drive-in fan base that includes more than 7,500 'Likes' on Facebook since the page was created last year.

Fiat does have a lot riding on the success of the 500, even though it might at first glance seem like a modest offering. It's critical that the company gets the marketing right, as it won't get the proverbial second chance to make a first impression.

The game plan so far has been executed in a subtle, low-key way. But now Fiat is upping the stakes. The few Fiat 500s I've seen on the road all appear to have happy drivers in them. So if Fiat can remind Americans about how much drive-ins used to -- and still can -- make them happy, the Italians may prove that they know what they're doing.

Related:

• 4 Ways to Sell the Fiat 500 -- Forget the Nostalgia
• Is the Fiat 500 a Taste of the Future -- or a Blast from the Past?
• Profits at Last! Chrysler Finally Makes Some Money; Now the Hard Part Begins