Renault exports “Joie de Vivre”

Renault are attempting to bring a slice of French chic to Britain with their new Megane Experiment.  The idea behind the experiment is to compare the sleepy Lancashire town of Gisburn with the arguably more stylish town of Menton on the Côte d’Azur – and ultimately discover whether or not the new Megane can change a town for the better.

Conducting the investigation is our French friend Claude, who himself hails from Menton. After meeting and greeting the Gisburn residents, Claude sets about explaining how the whole town could benefit from a little extra “Joie de Vivre”. The key indicator used for the test is the local rates of fertility in towns – and Claude is quick to reveal towns with more Meganes have higher fertility rates.

Renault have also set up a microsite, where the whole documentary can be viewed.  Directed by Oscar-nominated director Henry-Alex Rubin, the program is certainly well constructed, not to mention very funny in places – some of the residents are equally as forthcoming as Claude with some of their own opinions on French culture!

In these entertaining video clips tasters, you can see Claude busy at work charming the people of Gisburn, as well as offering them a test drive in his smart new Renault Megane.