Why crash just one or two cars when you can turn multiple fender benders and head ons into a slo mo spectacle of ballet-like proportion? French car manufacturer Renault wen with the latter in a recent commercial for its line of vehicles. Shot on what appears to be salt flats, multiple Renaults spin, pirouette, promenade, cabriole and generally move with grace while at the same time collide dramatically on ground and in mid-air in one of the best car commercial we’ve ever seen.
Keeping with the musical theme of the commercial, the tagline is, aptly, “The safest ensemble in the world.” While the consensus appears to be changing, as demonstrated by VW’s latest Crash ads and this Renault commercial, most car makers shy away from anything that might remotely allow the viewer to believe their vehicle would ever become involved in a crash. It’s nice to see the reality of a car crash done so eloquently and so beautifully. The Renault ad doesn’t hide the fact that, no matter how well you drive, crashes happen.
While the choreography and slow motion camera work makes for graceful and artistically pleasing entertainment, it also allows the viewer to see that, even in the head on crashes, the passenger cabin of the vehicle is, for the most part, left unharmed. Graceful delivery of product benefit. What more could one ask for from a car commercial?
