Renault has recently launched the new Clio. It’s 30 years in the making for the humble little hatchback that took over the might of the R5.
30 years is a long time in any life. To celebrate this and the progress of the car’s product features through the 3 decades of evolutionary exterior styling and a revolutionary interior, the Clio sets new standards for quality, technology and practicality.
Back to the three decades of the Clio, and it has seen changing times. In those 30 years, we have seen the pulling down fo walls, the putting up of walls and the changes and challenges for the LGBT+ community come and go.
Why am I talking about the LGBTQ community? The new Clio advert is about love over 3 decades. It’s a love story about 2 girls on a foreign student exchange programme who strike up a lasting lifelong friendship. It’s lived out over the 5 generations of Renault Clio. It ends on a high.
Throughout the advert there are changes and ages. The girls grow together and suddenly there is that spark. That magic spark we all look for. Then there is the anguish. The French girl gets married to a man. Our English girl is left alone. Her father is also not happy at his daughters life choices and there is a shouting match in the garage.
It all comes together in the end. Times are changing. The world isn’t just about boy meets girls. The friendship culminates into more than just a relationship. Life changes are made. The girls are at one and even the English father is at ease with his daughter and her family. It comes together as quite the tear jerker. Even the 2019 John Lewis Christmas advert can’t match this for the emotional pull on the heart strings.
Adam Wood, Marketing Director at Renault UK said:
“Renault brings people’s passion for life a little closer through our cars. We wanted to humanise and celebrate, not just thirty years of progress of the Renault Clio, but also the progress made within culture, society and life in that time. The Renault Clio is as in tune with the times today as it always has been.”
Dave Monk, Executive Creative Director at Publicis•Poke said:
“Britain has had a love affair with the Renault Clio since the 90’s halcyon days of Papa & Nicole and wind up windows. Many things have changed in those thirty years. While technology, design, attitudes and culture will always shift and change, one thing will always stay the same as long as humans have hearts. The love story. This is a simple and universal tale of two souls on their own enduring journey of life, love and passion”
Wrongly or rightly, Renault do not make any mention of the LGBT+ community in their the press release that accompanied the advert.
Part of me was a little annoyed to start with.
Our community still has some way go for total acceptance. Then again the lack of mentioning anything LGBT+ in it does make us just part of the landscape.
Like it or lump it, it made me feel like we’ve sort of arrived.
We’re here, we’re queer and we will drive our Renault Clio’s.
