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Renault Group Car Visualiser

CAPTUR5 THE MOMENT

Worldwide

Case Intro

The Car Visualiser of the Future

Renault Group embarked on a visionary project to create a state-of-the-art car visualizer, a tool allowing customers to immerse themselves in the driving experience of their future vehicle. This experience was designed to provide in-depth knowledge about the car’s capabilities, allow precise customization and seamlessly facilitate the purchasing process or booking of a test drive. The solution, pixel-streamed via Google’s groundbreaking Cloud technology and available on any device, was made accessible through the official Renault website across multiple countries and markets.

View Experience

The Story

The collaboration with Renault and Dacia spanned several car launches, with the relaunch of the iconic Renault 5 one of the main highlights. After a 28-year hiatus, this legendary model was revived as an electric city vehicle. The task was to create an interactive experience that allowed users to drive the R5 in an environment that mirrors the main television commercial. This required the development of a virtual, interactive version of the advert itself. Using the advanced capabilities of Unreal Engine 5.3, the solution offered an immersive experience, taking the user from the tree-lined boulevards of an iconic French city to the expansive open roads of the countryside. The dual settings highlighted the car's versatility in both urban and rural landscapes.

An Interactive TV Commercial

We pushed UE5.3 to its limits to replicate the TV commercial in the experience. Extreme care and attention was taken to reproduce the car, environment and surroundings. We continually played the experience back against the TVC in order to ensure it matched as closely as possible. The end product gives user the genuine sensation that they were immersed in the advert’s narrative but could explore it in a very personal and bespoke way.

Core Interaction

The experience starts with the R5 entering the scene, accompanied by on-screen prompts guiding the user on how to engage with the visualizer. Compatible with both desktop and mobile devices, it offers the user full control over the camera, allowing movement and zoom as the car navigates through the streets of an iconic French city.

R5 in the city

Capture the Moment

A standout feature, Freeze Mode, halts the car's movement, enabling users to personalize the vehicle, from its color to the rims and interior. This mode also captures the car’s deceleration in exquisite detail, showcasing elements like insects in high-resolution as the car comes to a stop. Interactive hot spots within the experience provide detailed insights into the car’s features, including electric charging, dashboard technology, and the illuminated charge display. Users even have the option to virtually sit inside the car as it journeys through the environment.

Activating Freeze Mode
Interactive hotspots : Exterior
Interactive hotspots : Interior

Seamless Transitioning

The transition from the urban streets to the open countryside is seamless, with the scene automatically looping back to the city through a cinematic under-the-car transition cut.

Seamless transition between the scenes

Interior detail

R5 Close-up
Details

Car Model

The car model is an exact digital representation of the R5, right down to the interior colours, illuminated charging icon and intricately detailed dashboard. Built within UE 5.3, the animations faithfully replicate the real car's movements, handling, and wheel rotation. Optimization ensured peak performance within the cloud environment, delivering a smooth and realistic experience.

City Environment
Suburb Environment

Environment Design

The environment for the R5 was meticulously crafted in UE5.3, divided into two distinct segments: 40 seconds of an iconic French city streets and 20 seconds of open countryside road. The urban section emphasizes the car’s low centre of gravity and its agility on city roads and when cornering. Historic buildings were recreated with precision, replicating the textures, lighting, and shadows seen in the television commercial. Essential urban elements, such as road signs, markings, and trees, were added to enhance authenticity and comply with advertising regulations. A dynamic transition, where the camera spins beneath the car, shifts the scene from the city to the countryside environment, showcasing the R5’s performance on wider roads at higher speed. The open expanse and grassy landscapes are a faithful reproduction of the original commercial setting.

Circular interface
Bespoke hotspots

Interface Design

Bespoke user interfaces were developed for both Renault and Dacia, reflecting their corporate branding. The R5’s interface had a unique design element, with the number “5: prominently featured in all headline text for the hotspot content. An innovative circle-shaped interface design was created to facilitate car customization, providing ample space for the various color and design options available for the R5. In total, over 200 combinations were possible. A dedicated menu allows users to continue configuring their car on the Renault website. Upon exiting the visualizer, they are redirected to a page where the car matches the one they were just virtually driving. This menu in the main experience also includes links for contacting dealers or learning more about the vehicle, ensuring a seamless transition from virtual experience to real-world action.

CREDITS

Creative Management & Directions

  • Patrick de Jong
  • Michael Ploj

Art Direction

  • Patrick de Jong
  • Michael Ploj

3D Environment Artists

  • Gerardo Justel Ochandorena
  • Maiken Lubkoll
  • Ivan Sanchez
  • Jens-Eric Peter
  • Christian Rambow
  • Reinhard Preißner
  • Andre Haupt

Car Modelling & Animation

  • Gerardo Justel Ochandorena
  • Ivan Sanchez
  • Reinhard Preißner

Technical Lead

  • Mateusz Marchwicki

Development

  • Raed Abbas

User Interface Design

  • Michael Ploj
  • Sophie Hu

Concept/UX

  • Patrick de Jong
  • Michael Ploj
  • Giulia Pignataro
  • Sophie Hu

QA Testing

  • Ewa Ulatowska

Executive Producer

  • Alex Kunawicz