VIDEO: It's Footloose with mimes... it's the 1985 Renault Alliance Convertible!
Click above to watch the video after the jump
When it comes to fashion and cars, the Eighties were not one of our better decades. Marketing efforts weren't so great either, and a long forgotten extended commercial for the 1985 Renault Alliance Convertible makes a case that all three elements should have never been combined. The Renault was a fuel efficient box with a penchant for breaking down on a regular basis, men and women wore two polo shirts at the same time with both collars up, and the jingles of the time inspired the singing career of Michael Bolton.
Hit the jump to watch the craziest nonsense you've ever seen. The video starts off on the beach, then moves to a deserted 1890s-style boom town littered with carriages, mimes, breakdancers, three very Eighties Footloosian dancers and some kick-ass neon signs.
At over three minutes long, we're not sure what the spot was used for (it's too long for television), but its period excellence leaves no doubt as to what decade it was filmed in. And make no mistake: This video won't make you any smarter and it might leave you with a rehash of those childhood mime nightmares, but this old Renault promotion is at least good for a laugh. Many of them. Hat tip to Duncan!
[Source: Renault via YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
waiownsyou 12:39PM (8/24/2009)
What's with the sudden influx of vintage automobile films?
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TVs Hasselhoff 12:41PM (8/24/2009)
Before we start sounding too proud of ourselves, remember that the Alliance was received well by the automotive press at the time. It was only after initial exposure to the market did everyone realise how poorly built the vehicle was. And as for your fashion statement about the 80's, walk into any Gap, Old Navy, Hollister, etc., and you're going to see the same headbands, gray shirts, and double-polos as the 80's., including the dork in the parking lot who thinks breakdancing should be performed by suburban punks.
It's hindsight that highlights the folly of the Alliance. It should be hindsight that reminds us double-polos are the domain of the d-bag.
I can't figure out what the mimes are for. I've got nothing for that one.
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Chris Shunk 1:08PM (8/24/2009)
You're so right about the comeback of 80s fashion. One of my daughters picked out a new school shirt... pink short sleeve with buttons at the shoulder. The buttons attach the arm accessories... pink and white striped arm warmers. Pants with holes in them have been back for a while, too. That was late 80s early 90s. As long as two sizes too big V-Neck sweaters don't make a comeback, though, I'm good. I wouldn't mind a cardigan, though, so I can get my Cosby on.
You're also right about the Renault. It was Motor Trend COTY in 1983, and it made the C/D 10 best that year, too.
Brad 2:24PM (8/24/2009)
Yep, we took my girlfriend's daughter back to school shopping last week and the stores were full of things that looked right at home in the 80's.
Jrejre 12:41PM (8/24/2009)
This is why automakers are doing so badly. It has nothing to do with the recession or gas prices. They simply don't make commercials like this anymore. If you want me to buy your car I need to see it interacting with ghost towns, mimes, and a guy who looks kinda like Kevin Bacon.
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Erik 1:11PM (8/24/2009)
HAAAHAAAA - you're cracking me up...
Max 12:43PM (8/24/2009)
That was a real nail-biter. I wasn't sure if he was gonna get the girl. But then he got the girl and the car. Oh how I love plot twists!
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J.Crew 12:45PM (8/24/2009)
Wow. More artsy, less fartsy. Auto marketing is still not all that great, but way better than those days.
We had an Alliance hard top as a company car as well as an Encore (Alliance hatchback) when I was growing up. The cars were the tin boxes of my early childhood. This was after a 1979 Chrysler New Yorker and a 1978 Chrysler Cordoba. Talk about night and day size differences.
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Mr.Oak 12:57PM (8/24/2009)
One of my navy buddies had an Alliance. Horrifically ugly / odd / stupid car. Quite a scary ride in one of these from Maine to NYC on I-95. Every big rig that we encountered just about blew that thing off the road. Easily as bad as the worst american cars of the day.
phoenix 12:52PM (8/24/2009)
Oh, the dear Renault Appliance. Such a gros-fantastique voiture!
Would've been such a smashing success here in the states, if only it had been equipped with "rich Corinthian leather..."
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Mr.Oak 1:00PM (8/24/2009)
My buddy's had leatherette. Stuck to your skin and tried to get out of the car with you.
Rev Junkie 1:03PM (8/24/2009)
Wow, did you see how much suspension travel the car had when coming out of that barn-thing at around 1:20? It was as wallowy as the Cordoba was in the Montalban ad!
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cwes7675 1:13PM (8/24/2009)
I caught that as well. I thought automakers stopped making cars that handled like boats in the 70's but I guess Im wrong
Bill 1:57PM (8/24/2009)
French cars of the past had a lot of suspension travel and were known for having a somewhat plush ride, for going over rural roads and cobblestone streets, etc. Ever seen the travel on a 2CV?
Richard W. Smith 1:14PM (8/24/2009)
OMG I was the proud owner of several different styles of Alliance/Encores.
I owned a 1985 bluer on white convertible, a 1986 four door sedan, and a 1987 Alliance Hatchback( the Encore name was dropped that year. And No, i didn't buy a new one each year, but bought the last two second hand. Loved driving them, HATED repairing them, cheaper to replace than repair LOL
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mjgyesme 1:16PM (8/24/2009)
Holy crap! Do any other Mormons recognize this guy? He looks pretty evil to me. :)
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David Ederer 1:27PM (8/24/2009)
To Car and Driver's defense they did pick the Alliance as one of the worst top 10 picks!
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E. Blandish-Seagrave 1:46PM (8/24/2009)
Was that guy spinning Spider Man on his head at like 2:15? Wouldn't surprise me, really.
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Edsel 2:28PM (8/24/2009)
Auto commercials you see today will look as comedic as this one twenty years from now. Old commercials are a cultural time capsule, they capture taste, fashion, and slang of that period. They can be a lot of fun to dissect and analyze.
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WetheSheeple 3:44PM (8/24/2009)
What about the Renault Fuego? That was kind of a cool hatch back then.
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