Production 1991 - 1998 | ||
"Papa" and "Nicole" were fictional characters created to advertise the Renault Clio in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 1998. The "Papa!" "Nicole" and "Nicole!" "Papa" verbal exchanges between Nicole and her father during the advertisements were adapted from an original exchange between Nicole Bonnet (played by Audrey Hepburn) and her father (played by Hugh Griffith) in the 1966 film How to Steal a Million. Surveys by Channel 4 and ITV revealed the series as the most popular car advertisements ever aired in Britain. In 1996, one survey found that Nicole was recognised by more Britons than the Prime Minister John Major, Bob Hoskins or Chris Evans. Renault was found to be the most persuasive advertiser in five European countries in 1994. The advert was designed by the Publicis agency.
Contents
Cast
Skornik had not passed her driving test when the first Clio advertisements were made. Professional driver Penny Mallory drove in place of both Nicole and Papa.
Episodes
- Très intéressant ('Interesting'), 1991
- Le rendez-vous ('The meeting'), 1992
- Le ski ('Skiing'), 1993
- Transformation ('Transformation'), 1994
- Maman ('Mum'), 1995
- Le changement ('Moved on'), 1996
- Vies parallèles ('Parallel lives'), 1997
- Le mariage ('The Wedding'), 1998
Finalé
An all-new second generation Renault Clio was launched in 1998, and with it came the finalé of Nicole's Provençale story.
Much publicity and speculation surrounded the question of whom Nicole would marry. Socialite and It girl Tara Palmer-Tomkinson noted, "I can't understand what she is doing getting married. I mean, she is giving up everything. She is one of the most beautiful, stunning, eligible girls around. She must be off her rocker. I mean, she had everything going for her, driving around the country in her Renault Clio, all at Daddy's, or rather Papa's, expense. I should be so lucky."
The finalé was itself a spoof of the film The Graduate. Wearing a dress by Deborah Milner and a hairstyle by Nicky Clarke, with her ring designed by Stephen Webster, Nicole was led down the aisle to the as-yet-unseen groom. Played during the advertising break for Coronation Street on 29 May 1998, an estimated 23 million viewers watched Nicole leave Vic Reeves at the altar and start a new life with Bob Mortimer in his new Renault Clio.
Soundtrack
All but one of the advertisements used Renault's 1980s and 1990s signature tune, Robert Palmer's Johnny And Mary. Each used a variation of the song, including Martin Taylor's acoustic interpretation, an alternative version of which he released on his album Spirit of Django and Renault's promotional compilation, Miles More Music. The advert to not use Johnny And Mary was Le Changement ('Moved On') from 1996, where Soul II Soul song Keep On Movin' was used.