BERLIN: Back in 1976, a short clip - “C’était un Rendez-Vous” ("It was a date"), showed a Ford Mustang flying through the streets of Paris, France, in the wee-hours of the morning.
Marking the clip's 40th anniversary, Ford pays homage to it, with a new nine-minute clip that uses the current 5.0-litre V8 Mustang fastback.
The modern clip will provide 360-degree views and can be viewed in virtual reality as it too flies through the streets of Paris in an attempt to recreate the 1976 clip by Claude LeLouch.
The new clip - “Re-Rendez-Vous”, with the Mustang as the star (obviously), was conceived by GTB (Ford’s WPP global agency) in partnership with Lelouch.
“Re-Rendez-Vous” follows a similar route past landmarks that include the Arc de Triomphe, Sacré Cœur Basilica, and Montmarte, the twist in this case though, is that the driver is now a woman.
Lelouch achieved Oscar success for the 1966 movie “A Man and a Woman”, in which the main character drove a white Mustang in the Monte Carlo rally.
“I had goose bumps watching ‘C’etait un Rendez-Vous’ forty years later in virtual reality. At the time, my movie was about the feeling of freedom and the pleasure driving generates,” said Lelouch.
“I knew that Ford would do more than just a tribute to the original in this new version. I am delighted to see the Mustang again and to close the loop fifty years after ‘A Man and a Woman’”, he added.
To perfectly recreate the main aspects of the route was a challenge because some roads have long since disappeared.
“Re-Rendez-Vous” is due for an online release later this month and can be seen on mobile devices or, better yet, using a virtual reality headset.
There are plans for the film to be shown online via an expandable banner – a virtual reality first.
“Mustang is a symbol of the freedom and thrill of driving. Recreating Lelouch’s cult short film ‘C’etait un Rendez-Vous’ was the perfect way to capture this spirit for a new audience,” said Ford of Europe director of marketing communications Anthony Ireson.
