C4 apologises for silent Film4 debut by Renault

by James Quilter, Marketing 26-Jul-06

Channel 4's launch of Film4 on Freeview last Sunday was dealt a blow when its inaugural ad break, booked in its entirety by Renault, ran without sound.

The broadcaster has been forced to apologise to the French car
manufacturer, which had created a 100-second execution especially for
the slot. Renault's ads were the first ever transmitted on the channel

and it had booked a series of spots, including executions for its Clio

and Megane models, to run during the broadcast of Lost in
Translation.

The 100-second ad, created by Carat and Red Bee Media, supported the
Clio Renaultsport. Due to its length, it was only due to air once
more.

Although the ad was transmitted successfully on Sky and cable platforms,
it was seen in silence by people watching on Freeview.

A Channel 4 spokeswoman said that sound had been lost because of an
unforeseen technical problem, for which the station had apologised to
the car manufacturer. She added that both parties had agreed a new time
to air the execution.

The ad was a take on the 'French car, British designers' ad that debuted
late last year. It showed the car's features interspersed with vignettes
comparing British and French people and objects.