It was the global launch of Renault’s Kwid and the French auto maker had pulled out all stops. Media from the emerging markets, France and all over the country were present to witness the unveiling of the Kwid, with which Renault expects to take on Maruti’s best-selling Alto and Hyundai’s Eon in the A segment.
As befitting a global launch, Renault’s brand events team had created a memorable setting. A 360-degree screen around the hall displaying an audio visual on the history of Renault overwhelmed the media. The large hall, capable of seating 250 people, was overflowing. After a stylised dance performance, three Kwids, two in resplendent red, rolled out on to the low stage, to thunderous applause.
The planning for this event started in Paris way back in December, says Gabriela Grajewska, Head of Brand Events, Renault. Mumbai-based events company Encompass, of the WPP group, was hired to set up the venue to perfection.
Grajewska and her team flew down from Paris a week ago and oversaw the stage setting, the 360-degree screen and lights at the ITC Grand Chola Hotel. “We wanted to make it an immersive and intimate event,” she says, adding that she prefers a grand stage like this one for a launch as the media’s attention is focused on one company’s launch, rather than launch at a motor show, where many cars are on display.
Live streaming
Zarav Martin of Encompass rolls out the statistics of setting up a show like this one: 14 full HD projectors of 14,000 lumens were strung up around the hall on aluminium scaffolding, akin to a Bollywood set. Five cameras filmed the event and beamed up the stage on the 12-foot white screen, which stretched all around for 250 feet.
The audio visual, which ran through servers behind the screen, where miles of cables criss-cross, was spliced to run across the 14 projectors and aligned to make it all look seamless. As Martin points out, car launches are getting bigger and bigger. Next, there’s only the ceiling left, he says, tongue firmly in cheek.
Grajewska, who had a few more shows on for the day, for employees and dealers, is chuffed as the live web streaming of the event on the Renault site had 22 million views!