Drive the future - Renault | Clapboard Ad Archive

Renault’s Drive the Future campaign, developed by Publicis and unveiled in 2017, marked the European introduction of the New Koleos with a cinematic and immersive creative approach that elevated expectations in the automotive market category. Drawing focus to premium audiences—top managers and entrepreneurs—the campaign positioned the Koleos as the ultimate partner for consumers seeking distinction in both professional and personal spheres, leveraging its athletic design and refined interior to project a sense of attainable aspiration. The creative core centers squarely on the Demonstration technique, what Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#1—Demonstration, leveraging not just narrative, but direct user exploration as proof of product value. The campaign unfolds in two stages: a stunt-led hero film that puts three businessmen through a surprising in-flight virtual reality test drive, driving home the car’s disruptive credentials, followed by a full-scale VR activation that places viewers virtually behind the wheel. By harnessing 360° video across Facebook and YouTube, and supporting in-person exploration at dealerships via Google Cardboard or Oculus technology, the campaign pushed Renault’s design and experience promise beyond the screen and into the viewer’s hands, offering a single-take, spatially dynamic journey through real and imagined landscapes that allow users to evaluate the SUV’s capabilities directly. Through refined visuals, spatial audio, and seamless transitions between exterior majesty and interior comfort, the New Koleos becomes the protagonist in a story of both technological leadership and design evolution, reinforcing Renault’s new brand promise at every touchpoint. Publicis’ execution demonstrates fluency not just in production values, but in anticipating the experiential appetites of a digital-first, status-driven consumer. Crucially, the campaign’s digital activation isn’t an add-on, but an integral channel that transforms demonstration from static showcase to active trial, deepening brand engagement and familiarity in a crowded segment. The Geneva Motor Show unveiling and VR presence at point-of-sale cement the campaign’s 360-degree philosophy, ensuring that the Koleos experience is both immediate and memorable wherever its audience encounters it. Clapboard rates this 78/100. This campaign matters because it signals how creative demonstration, powered by immersive technology, can reset the expectations for automotive launches when brand experience is made tangible and interactive.