FIAT: Behind the Scenes of Creating Merch for the Abarth 500

Working with FIAT wasn't nearly as glamorous as you might imagine. There was no magical Instagram DM or chance encounter with someone from the company. Instead, it started with a frustrated marketing manager who couldn't find the right designer to create a series of posters for the new Abarth 500. They texted a friend asking for a recommendation.

"I know exactly the person you need."

That was it. 

Despite having no previous portfolio in the automotive industry, I wasn't intimidated. As a lifelong Formula 1 fan who grew up in a family of passionate car enthusiasts, I already understood something many designers overlook: people don't just buy cars, they admire them.

I received the brief, explored several creative directions, refined the strongest concept, and sent it over. We won the pitch. The brief itself was simple: "I want sharp lines, but I want it to feel almost like 2D animation, with a retro vibe."

Winning the project was actually the easy part.

Working with a global company like FIAT means learning how to navigate one of the biggest creative challenges: missing assets. Large organizations come with large approval chains. Need a logo? Wait. Need the official typography? Wait. Need brand files? Wait a little longer. The creative process often begins before you have everything you need.

The Creative Process Behind the Abarth 500 Posters

I started by sketching the car from a reference photo taken at what my family of car lovers unanimously described as "the sexy angle”. When illustrating a car, tiny details make all the difference. Enthusiasts notice everything, from the proportions of the headlights to the curves of the bodywork.

Once the illustration was polished, I moved on to the poster design and explored three completely different layout directions:

• A bold, graphic composition where typography became part of the artwork.

• A cleaner layout that let the Abarth 500 take center stage from an unexpected perspective.

• A darker, more dramatic concept that combined the strongest elements of both approaches.

After presenting the concepts, we developed the final three-poster series for the Abarth 500.

The final result is a collection of three illustrated posters celebrating one of FIAT's most iconic performance cars. The artwork was also designed with enough flexibility to extend beyond print into merchandise like hoodies and tote bags, making it part of a broader automotive branding system rather than just a standalone campaign.