Renault India spreads light in the festival of lights

Conceptualised by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, the initiative saw Renault's social media audience celebrating the true spirit of Diwali with the people of Bheliv village by distributing solar lanterns and bringing light to their lives literally

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Mumbai | November 8, 2016

Click on the Image to watch the TVC.

Renault India tried to do something different this Diwali. The multi-national automobile manufacturer encouraged its online community to come together and give back to the less fortunate while celebrating the true spirit of Diwali.

Conceptualised by Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, the initiative called 'Spread the Light--The Renault Diwali Drive', saw Renault India reaching out to its social media audience and inviting them to be a part of this activity.

The drive flagged off from the Renault dealership and made its way to Bheliv village in Raigad district, Maharashtra. The thrilled customers carried sweets, decorations and everything needed to make this Diwali special for the people of Bheliv village.

In turn, the people of Bheliv extended a warm welcome to them with a traditional aarti, dhols and garlands. The customers had an immersive experience as they joined the villagers in their preparations for the evening celebration.

The celebration reached a crescendo with the exchange of light, where the customers gave solar lanterns to the villagers who couldn't afford electricity and received handmade diyas from the delighted villagers. The villagers were thrilled to make new friends and have them partake in their Diwali celebrations. The customers never imagined the impact they could have on other people's lives by sharing the spirit of Diwali.

Virat Khullar, Head of Marketing, Renault India, said, “Renault is continuously inspired by India's passion for life and we will always find ways to spread happiness with our consumers. Diwali was one such occasion to make it count.”

Kartik Smetacek

Speaking about what drove them to do the initiative, Kartik Smetacek, Executive Creative Director, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “We were keen to do something meaningful for Diwali. Light is quintessential to the festival and spreading the light is really symbolic of spreading happiness. I think the activity captured and celebrated the true essence of Diwali.”

Elaborating on the idea behind the initiative, Stacey Dsylva, Creative Director, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “The idea was to create an experience that would allow people to see Diwali in an all new light that would truly make a difference.”

“Passion for life for us is more than just words. It's about partnering people to live better, a spirit that drives people to live richer lives. This initiative is a reflection of our belief and commitment to India, where we bought together Renault customers to celebrate Diwali in the truest sense,” said Vivek Kumar Duggal, Senior Vice-President, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi.

Experts speak:

Rahul Gupta

Rahul Gupta, MD, IBD said, “Spreading light in the life of others is a noble human cause and Renault sets off greatly to do it. The human side of the brand is very aptly presented and the video is shot aesthetically with high production value. Such meaningful gestures increase the likeability and strengthen the equity of the brand.”

Saurabh Dasgupta

Saurabh Dasgupta, National Creative Director, Innocean, said, “It is a very sweet initiative from a car brand. This is going beyond advertising and gunning for real change. I think it is a great effort. Renault is a socially responsible automaker that believes in spreading cheer and going beyond its own target market definitions. It isn't easy for brand managers to see beyond potential or existing buyers. So through initiatives like these, the brand reaches out just because it wants to reach out and in the process engage existing users too. This kind of defies direct marketing logic and that's what makes it so delicious. I think more brands should be doing stuff like this.”

Sahil Siddiqui

Sahil Siddiqui, Group Head-Creative Strategy, WATConsult, feels that it is a good initiative but points out a few 'buts'.

“The ad is very aware of being a Diwali ad that wants to avoid the clichés. It's successful in that sense but it's also very aware of being a 'Renault' ad. Way too obverse brand presence, for my liking. I will have to appreciate the initiative and the simplicity of the execution -- using your own customers and finding people in need for a minor outreach.”

“I still cannot overlook the issues with the craft and the creative of the film. It's a feel good video that will be shareable in few circles but visuals are obvious and effort doesn't come across as too genuine. The script lacks a narrative and the second half is loosely strung for my liking. We just move from one set piece to the next. Also, it seems like a lost opportunity for call to action and participation. So overall it's a good effort (initiative?) with a but, could surely be planned better with imaginative storytelling and a more sincere takeaway,” Siddiqui added.

The TVC:

https://img-cdn.thepublive.com/filters:format(webp)/bmi/media/post_attachments/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Renault-India-spreads-light.jpg

Credits

Client: Renault India

Creative Agency: Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi

National Creative Director: Charles Victor

Executive Creative Director: Kartik Smetacek

Creative Director: Stacey Dsylva

Creative Team: Shashank Sharma, Siddharth Mishra

Sr Vice-President: Vivek Kumar Duggal

Account Management: Rohan Kulkarni, Shazia Shaikh, Omprakash Singh, Kartik Nikam, Pritish Nathaniel, Arathi Bhat, Anand Ashar, Zaid Sayed

Production House: Inglorious Films

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