The “Nouvelle Vague” in Renault’s marketing strategy

This year marked a turning point for Renault, as the brand is entering a new era and launching its own “Nouvelle Vague” with the aim of bringing modernity into the European automotive industry by becoming a tech, service and clean energy brand. As part of these global changes, Renault’s marketing department assumed the role of helping to ensure the brand’s disruptive approach came through loud and clear in its external campaigns and communications.

Since the beginning, the “Nouvelle Vague” in Renault’s marketing strategy has been well received by the brand’s customers and fans, as well as by national and international experts. Renault stood out in a number of categories in 2021, as the brand received 29 awards, 65% of which were international prizes.

RENAULT MARKETING TEAM

On 1^st January 2021, Renault established its first centralised global marketing department, to foster creativity, ensure its advertising and social media discourse were more consistent, and boost efficiency for greater value creation.

"The main objective of Renault’s centralised global marketing department is to make the brand stronger, more robust and a love brand around the world,” says Arnaud Belloni, Renault Global Marketing Director. “To achieve this goal, we produced and implemented 48 global 360° campaigns for the entire world in 2021 alone, strongly focusing on the current social trends and habits.

In 2021, the Renault marketing team came up, implemented, and produced all of the content for over 40 global campaigns, delivering ready‑to‑use material suitable for the brand’s markets all over the world.

A NEW BRAND IDENTITY

According to Renault Global Marketing Director Arnaud Belloni, overhauling the brand’s entire visual identity, logo and advertising was one of the first steps in showcasing the disruption of the brand, and bring it closer to the society. Renault’s new identity needed to encapsulate the “Nouvelle Vague” era the brand has entered and showcase its new values – modernity, technology, as well as French electropop culture.

Initially planned for January 2022, the launch of the updated Renault diamond was brought forward by 10 months to send out a strong message to customers and the wider public. The ninth version of the iconic Renault logo was proudly displayed for the first time in January 2021, at the announcement of the Renaulution strategic plan in January 2021. Since then, it has been gradually unfolding into all marketing assets and social media platforms, grabbing everybody’s attention.

The Club des Directeurs Artistiques awarded the Renault diamond logo a prize in the motion design category last July, while TOP/COM Consumer experts honoured it with the gold prize for logo of the year in November.

RENAULT BRAND CAMPAIGNS

Both the form and content of Renault’s marketing assets has changed, transforming the face of the company across the board. For its campaigns, the marketing team decided to tap into and underline various social trends that would resonate powerfully with end customers. This strategy clearly paid off, as Renault brand films received a number of national and international awards.

The advertisement for the new Renault ZOE, The Chase, evokes the ongoing switch to two- and four-wheel electric mobility and highlights the model’s high sales figures in Europe, where it is the best-selling electric vehicle. It was also the first advertisement to feature the new version of the Renault logo and won the gold prize at the 2021 TOP/COM Grands Prix Consumer awards.

The Renault Renew campaign sought to underline Renault’s image as a brand ahead of its time and in tune with the modern consumer trend of buying second-hand and refurbished products. This idea , in line with the current society habit, won Renault a total of four prizes – gold at the TOP/COM Grands Prix Consumer 2021, silver at the 2021 Shots Awards, as well as two bronze prizes at the London International Awards.

The Renault Clio campaign, The French Exchange, people’s heartstrings by underlining how the model is the perfect companion for any Renault customer, capturing the personality of an iconic vehicle that is a real success story and pillar of the brand. This film took home bronze at the Club des Directeurs Artistiques and silver at the 2021 Shot Awards.

The video on Renault Care Services, The Feeling, featuring the historic Renault Fuego, highlights the brand’s experience, leadership and commitment to its after-sales serviceas many people nowadays recognise the importance of taking good care of things and people. This film earned the Renault marketing a silver award at the 2021 Shots Awards.

Last but not least, Renault’s Electric Village saw the brand create the first electric village in Appy. All families living in this town in the French Pyrenees received a Renault ZOE they could in their daily commutes, including to reach the nearest supermarket 20 kilometres away.

The Renault way to foster drive the new social electric mobilty trend and prove that a more sustainable future can be built even in remote areas, won the following awards in France: three prizes at the Grand Prix du Brand Content; gold and bronze prizes from the Club des Directeurs Artistiques; and bronze at the Grand Prix Strategies de la Publicité.

The Electric Village earned Renault the following international awards: two silver prizes at the Clio Awards; the D&AD “graphite pencil” award; bronze at the One Show awards; the grand prize as well as gold and bronze prizes at Cannes Lions; silver at The Gerety Awards; as well as three bronze prizes, one silver and one gold at the London International Awards.