Historical brand of mobility, Renault has always developed innovative vehicles. With its strategic plan “Renaulution” the brand is initiating an ambitious transformation, to embody modernity and innovation in technological, energy and mobility services.

Renault asked us to reveal its new flagship: Rafale, the first model to feature the brand’s all new design language, and a vehicle named after Renault’s celebrated past in the air. Back in the early 20th century, Renault was a pioneering manufacturer of combustion engines for cars, as well as for trains and planes. In 1933, Renault took over Caudron, another manufacturer, and established Caudron-Renault. All the planes were named after a notable wind. The C460, a single-seater racing plane engineered to break records, was renamed Rafale in 1934.

Renault is reconnecting with its history with its new high-end car. Our objective: make the launch spectacular, a never-seen-before event for the brand.

Launching a new car in a motor show, is the norm. Launching one at an air show, is the Renault way! Since Rafale is inspired by Renault’s history as an aircraft engine manufacturer in the 1930s, the idea was to make the past and present meet in a legendary location: the Paris Air Show, which brings together all the players in this global industry around the latest technological innovations. The 2023 edition was widely expected after an absence of 4 years due to Covid. All-new Renault Rafale made its world premiere, from June 19 to 25 on the brand's booth. The choice to present its latest creation at Le Bourget is much more than a simple nod to the French aeronautical manufacturer. Rather, it is a question of recalling the public's fond memories of Renault's “glorious” past in aviation, and reach larger audience than the usual public of B2B motorshows.

The booth at Paris Air Show pays tribute to Renault's aeronautical past and emotionally renders this glorious chapter of Renault's forgotten history. We chose to exhibit all-new Renault Rafale alongside the aircraft that gave it its name, in a showcase covering more than 700m2. For a powerful reveal, the stand was designed as a black box, with over-sized screen arches featuring pictures of the plane, sky images and lights for a total immersive feel that glorified the new vehicle. We paid homage to the historic plane by featuring its silhouette on the outside façade of the booth, and recreated blueprints of the Rafale on the inside walls. We imagined an “aviators’ bar” that featured Renault’s history in aviation with miniature airplanes, old posters from the 1930s, analogue world zone clocks with the old name of airports, and portraits of legendary aviators such as Hélène Boucher associated with record-breaking Rafale Caudron.

The Renault Rafale booth sparked great interest among journalists and visitors. It brought together more than 32 000 visitors over the week, with more than 20 000 during the three days open to the general public, accounting for more than 11% of the total International Paris Air Show visitors.

The world premiere coverage benefited from the publicity of the Paris Air Show as media often introduced the Rafale via its aeronautical roots, and the coverage was 99% positive or neutral. The Rafale premiere benefited from 536 articles in traditional media worldwide, for a total reach of 110M, and earned 44,9 impressions on social media.