Renault signs Henry as new face of Clio

by Claire Billings,, Brand Republic 22-May-02, 16:00

LONDON - Renault has turned to French footballer and Arsenal player Thierry Henry to star in its latest campaign for its Clio model, as it looks to give the car favoured by young women a more macho image.

The advertisements, created by Publicis, break on UK TV screens on Friday (May 24), one week ahead of France's first match, the opening game of tournament, against Senegal on May 31.

The campaign continues the "Va Va Voom" theme for Renault, introduced to the UK by the French actress and model Helene Mahieu, the last face of the Clio. The Henry ad will debut during 'Big Brother' on Channel 4.

The campaign follows popular Clio ads such as "size matters" and the unforgettable "Nicole" campaign, which ran from 1991, when the brand launched, to 1998 when Nicole had to choose between marrying Vic Reeves or running away with Bob Mortimer.

However, the new campaign is said to be aimed at giving the brand a more macho image to try to attract more male drivers to the Clio, which has always been more popular with young women.

Jonathan Wignall, Renault UK's national advertising manager, said: "Our new campaign is designed to show people the strong, masculine side to the Clio range, which in the past has not been focused on."

He added: "The new campaign is primarily aimed at a younger, male audience and reflects the popularity of the sporty versions of Clio, especially the Renaultsport 172 version featured in the ad. To many, Thierry represents a modern man who is skilled, intelligent and stylish and is therefore a perfect fit for us and the Clio."

Henry is also appearing in the latest Nike ad which features international soccer stars such as Patrick Viera and Rio Ferdinand in a three-a-side tournament with Eric Cantona as the referee.

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