Gigi Buffon, the Juventus FC and Italian soccer team goalkeeper, is the face of a new advertising campaign to accompany the launch of the Fiat Fiorino which is now getting underway across Italy. feature the Italian football star in a series of goal-saving poses alongside a Fiorino van, which in one spot is adorned with 'Buffon Costruzione' decals.

Gigi Buffon, the Juventus FC and Italian national soccer team goalkeeper, is to be the face of a new advertising campaign to accompany the launch of the Fiat Fiorino van range and which is now getting underway across Italy. The campaign, which has been developed by the Leo Burnett Torino agency, will be conducted in newspapers, on the radio, and on advertising hoardings, and will feature the Italian football star in a series of goal-saving poses alongside a Fiorino van, which in one spot is adorned with 'Buffon Costruzione' decals.

The new Fiorino van, which will be manufacturers at the Bursa plant in Turkey, made its debut at Transpotec 2007 in Milan in October has been shown since at a number of high profile shows including the European Road Transport Show 2007 in Amsterdam. As well as Italy where it is now going on sale, it is set to be sold in more than 80 countries worldwide, with passenger versions arriving next year. With the choice of either a 1.4 (73 CV) petrol unit of the 1.3 Multijet (75 CV) turbodiesel the new light van is 3.86 metres long, has a volume of 2.5 cubic metres and a loading capacity of up to 610 kg. Loading and unloading has been made easier due to the very low loading sill (527 mm), sliding doors and large double doors at the rear.

Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, born on 28 January 1978, is a famous Italian sporting figure. Not only is he the goalkeeper for Fiat's hometown Serie A team Juventus FC, who signed him in 2001 for a then world-record goalkeeper's fee of £32 million, but he also plays for the national side. As keeper for the Azzurri he played a key role in Italy's stunning capture of the FIFA Football World Cup title in Germany last summer where a string of outstanding performances between the sticks saw Buffon keeping seven 'clean sheets' and only conceding two goals (one an own goal and the other a penalty) all tournament, bar the penalty shootout.

This month Buffon has helped the national team seal qualification for next year's UEFA European Football Championships. Roberto Donadoni, the Azzurri coach who masterminded the successful European qualification campaign, which was sealed by an away win in Glasgow, also has recent Fiat connections, last week he took delivery of a 500.