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“In the film, our cars have a real role in the story!”
Interview with Marianne Valois, in charge of product placement at Peugeot.
Marianne Valois is responsible for identifying the films, both for television and the cinema, in which Peugeot vehicles could be featured in the scenario. She talked to us about the close relationship that has sprung up between the automotive brand and the silver screen over the past twenty years.
How do you choose your partners?
Peugeot receives several hundred projects every year, and the product placement agency picks out the most attractive among them. The car has to play an important role in the story. Where possible, it is associated with the main character, who must be a positive figure with a responsible approach to driving. Also, the car must not be shown in a negative light.
We loan cars for superproductions and also for films with smaller budgets. The ranks of young producers may include a future Besson or Jeunet! We help them by placing the cars at their disposal and, in return, they might well come back to Peugeot if they wish to make another sequel to “Taxi!” for example. We also provide vehicles for many television series.
Has the relationship between Peugeot and the cinema changed over the years?
Yes, very much so! Peugeot is in the process of becoming the market leader. To start with, however, our involvement was minimal. When we started working for the French TV detective series “Julie Lescaut”, around ten years ago, we set up a special structure. A product placement agency sent the word around to production companies that Peugeot had a fleet specially for films. This fleet comprises around 40 vehicles today and is a real asset. That said, we do not try to turn a film into an advertisement for the brand. We supply our vehicles free of charge because we want the choice of car to remain an artistic choice. That is why Peugeot is not really present as an advertiser in “ Michel Vaillant”. Our cars are not an advertising medium. They have a real role in the story.
How did Peugeot come to be involved in “Michel Vaillant"?
We have been working with Luc Besson for many years. In “Subway” (1985), one of his first films, Christophe Lambert drove a 205 GTI in a memorable car chase. Our partnership started from there. Luc Besson and his staff have an extraordinary way of filming cars. Moreover, we like its projects because they tend to appeal to the general public. Also, I think that the appreciation is mutual. If he calls upon Peugeot so often, it’s no doubt because he likes our cars!
[08/13/2003]
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