We decided to revive a not so well known story. A story that says it all about Renault’s state of mind. When Renault first revved its engines in 1977, it was quite harsh. Their first car’s recurring technical problems often led to an overheated and smoking back end. Its performance earned their competitor’s cruel nickname of “The Yellow Teapot”. But Renault’s team worked even harder, despite the mockery, and won their first Grand Prix just two years later.

We told this story by reviving the legend of The Yellow Teapot - in our own way – creating a real Yellow Teapot: The 2017 Yellow Teapot, making it the official teapot of the Renault F1, a symbol of pride.

The 2017 Yellow Teapot is a real teapot, CE marked (certified for public use). Taking inspiration from both the 1977 and the 2017 F1 cars designs and using the same steel, carbon fiber and paint as the original cars. The design has been made in close collaboration with Renault’s design team.

The 2017 Yellow Yeapot became the official teapot of the Renault Formula One Team.

To cheer with fans as well, the 2017 Yellow teapot has been displayed (and still is) at Renault’s flagship store, in Paris and a Limited Edition has been specially made and sold online and instore to the public. The product has been launched with key players and journalists of that time during PR events at the Silverstone Grand Prix (first Grand Prix of the 1977 car). And a web film starring Jean-Pierre Jabouille, the driver of the 1977 yellow teapot, was introducing it.

The Yellow Teapot has been widely shared in the world of automobile (TopGear, Eurosport, Turbo, Autoplus…) but also in a more unexpected News&lifestyle world (Vogue, GQ, Wired, Marie France, Le Monde, BFTMtv, La Repubblica, …) allowing Renault F1 to reach a wider public than usual. The campaign got more than 60 million impressions. The video content exceeded 10 million views. Engagement rate on Social Media was 6 times higher than the regular Renault’s bench (from 0,11% to 0,65%) and interaction was 99% positive.

The announce of the sale at l’Atelier Renault led to a “never seen before” (Renault’s words) number of calls, and emails for pre-reservation. Such that Renault is examining the mass-production of the teapot.

And the best part: the teapot is now used by the actual Formula 1 team. And Renault F1 is back in the scoring places this year, thanks to passion…and thanks to tea maybe.

We told a founding story, a story with a human insight, about failure and mockeries, that helped us bounding with our consumers, sharing strong brand values. To tell this story, we created a common object with domestic usage that people could directly see, touch, buy and use. An object for a proper use and with a proper symbolic. The teapot was (and still is) displayed and sold in the Renault’s flagship store, on the Champs-Elysées, in Paris (and website). And used in their restaurant, L’Atelier. We didn’t design an object. We designed a medium.

Renault has always been passionate about racing, never forgetting to be humble and have a self-mocking sense of humour. So when the time come to celebrate a 40 years’ anniversary in Formula One, we decided to take a bold move and celebrate a 40-Year-Old failure, instead of the 170 wins and 12 World titles. Telling a story that only Renault can tell, a story that made an entire history: The Yellow Teapot. And gently thumbing their nose at those who didn’t believe in them, 40 years ago.

The creation of the teapot was also the opportunity to reach a different public, in addition to Renault’s fans and F1 lovers. A public that could be interested by the approach, the design, the product itself.

Renault wanted to celebrate their 40th anniversary in Formula One.

The objective was to create a campaign that would talk to fans and F1 lovers, but not only.