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Renault banks on House of Cards’ Kevin Spacey for major Espace relaunch

Renault is relaunching its venerable Espace people mover – a van to all extents and purposes – as a ‘crossover,’ Chelsea tractors for the masses who have no intention of ever driving across a field.

And rather good it looks too in this launch campaign from Publicis Conseil starring, rather surprisingly, Kevin Spacey. No idea what Kev drives in real life but I bet it isn’t an Espace – probably is now, of course.

So here we have the slightly sinister Spacey averring that ‘This Time Is Mine’ as he recalls his roles in American Beauty, The Usual Suspects and House of Cards. He’s not the first actor to succumb to philosophical musings in someone else’s big car of course, Matthew McConaughey did so to launch Lincoln’s MKC last year – to mixed reviews.

Spacey fares rather better, perhaps because he doesn’t meet a bull.

Interesting that some cars are being pitched as oases of peace and quiet in an always-on world, even though other manufacturers pitch them as mobiles on wheels. A lot of new Espaces will be filled with noisy children, but never mind.

But Spacey is the most watchable of actors and he has the ability to keep you guessing: is he being ironic or truthful, for once. So this works, against the odds perhaps.

MAA creative scale: 7.

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