Renault - Cars to Work
Renault tasked Publicis Conseil. The brand needed to significantly increase awareness for its long-standing, yet unknown, Caremakers program, which supported low-income job seekers in remote areas. The client sought an innovative mobility solution that would reduce financial risk for this audience, thereby enhancing Renault's visibility, driving program participation, and addressing critical societal mobility challenges.
Creative Idea
Renault offered job seekers cars with payments starting after probation, returnable if they failed, removing a major barrier to employment.
Renault created a unique car leasing program for job seekers in remote areas where car payments start only after their probation period, and they can return the car if they don't pass probation. This innovative solution helps low-income individuals access transportation for work while reducing their financial risk and supporting their employment opportunities.
Breaking the Vicious Circle of No Car No Job
The 22 Year Old Reliability Gap
Before the CareMakers initiative, the average vehicle owned by applicants was 22 years old. This extreme mechanical fragility created a psychological burden where 88% of job seekers lived in constant fear of breakdown. Director Laura Sicouri and DP Melodie Preel focused the production on these human stakes rather than a clinical diagnosis of poverty. By featuring real workers like Eva, a night nurse, and Sophiane, a logistics technician, the campaign moved away from traditional automotive tropes to highlight the emotional weight of "mobility deserts" in rural France.
A Safety Net for Probation
The production highlighted a radical financial shift: a three-month free trial where payments only begin once a job is secured. To make this possible, Publicis Conseil and Renault orchestrated a massive ecosystem involving France Travail and microcredit organizations like Adie. This "safety net" allows users to return the car without penalty if they fail their probation, effectively removing the risk of debt. Cléa Martinet, VP of Sustainability, noted that over half of French job seekers have previously refused a position due to lack of transport, making this a direct intervention in social inequality.
Quantifying the Social Shift
The campaign’s impact went far beyond brand sentiment. Following the program, the number of beneficiaries on permanent contracts (CDI) multiplied by 2.5. The psychological relief was equally measurable: the fear of unexpected repair bills plummeted from 89% to just 6%. By addressing the same rural mobility frustrations that fueled the Gilets Jaunes protests, Renault shifted its industry positioning from a standard manufacturer to a socially engaged brand, outperforming rivals in the CSR space.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Renault leverages its 12-year CareMakers infrastructure and partnerships with social institutions like France Travail to offer high-risk, microcredit-backed leasing models that traditional lenders avoid.
Category
The automotive category typically demands proof of income and permanent contracts for financing, creating a systemic barrier for the unemployed who need mobility to escape poverty.
Customer
Job seekers in remote 'white zones' feel trapped in a paradox where they cannot accept employment without a vehicle, but cannot afford a vehicle without employment.
Culture
In post-Gilets Jaunes France, mobility is recognized as a fundamental right and a primary source of social inequality, making corporate intervention in rural transport gaps essential.
Company
Renault leverages its 12-year CareMakers infrastructure and partnerships with social institutions like France Travail to offer high-risk, microcredit-backed leasing models that traditional lenders avoid.
Category
The automotive category typically demands proof of income and permanent contracts for financing, creating a systemic barrier for the unemployed who need mobility to escape poverty.
Strategy:
Remove the financial risk of job-seeking by deferring vehicle costs until employment is secured, making mobility an inclusion tool.
Customer
Job seekers in remote 'white zones' feel trapped in a paradox where they cannot accept employment without a vehicle, but cannot afford a vehicle without employment.
Culture
In post-Gilets Jaunes France, mobility is recognized as a fundamental right and a primary source of social inequality, making corporate intervention in rural transport gaps essential.
Strategy:
Remove the financial risk of job-seeking by deferring vehicle costs until employment is secured, making mobility an inclusion tool.
Strategy Technique
Turn Brand Values Into Action
Renault created a tangible program directly addressing societal mobility challenges for job seekers. This initiative proves their commitment to social responsibility beyond mere statements.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Dramatize the Solution
Renault's program dramatically solves the critical problem of job seekers lacking transport and facing financial risk. It offers an innovative, risk-free car leasing solution, making the path to employment clear.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its empathetic storytelling and cinematic realism, leveraging authentic interviews and subtle visual cues to highlight a significant societal issue and Renault's impactful solution.
The ad effectively uses personal, authentic narratives to build empathy and illustrate a widespread problem, making the brand's solution deeply relevant.
The camera work employs a mix of POV shots, close-ups, and tracking shots to create an immersive, documentary-style feel that enhances the realism of each character's daily struggles and eventual triumph.
The editing skillfully interweaves individual stories with broader statistics and the program's solution, building a clear narrative arc that maintains engagement and emotional connection.
The musical score expertly guides the emotional journey, transitioning from melancholic ambient sounds to an uplifting orchestral piece, perfectly matching the narrative's shift from problem to solution.
The emotional resonance of the campaign is a direct result of the strong synergy between the authentic storytelling, empathetic voiceover, and the dynamic shift in music and visual tone, creating a cohesive and impactful message.
