Renault’s ‘Plug Inn’ wins creative strategy Grand Prix

An electric car is only as good as the charging infrastructure where it travels. In France, that meant trips outside of big cities in an electric car could be a tricky endeavor. Renault, the leader in electric car sales in France, turned to Publicis Conseil for help. The solution: An app connecting electric vehicle drivers to private charging spot owners called Plug Inn. Described as an “AirB&B for plugs,” Plug Inn was the winner of the Creative Strategy Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Thursday. Cannes Lions coverage Follow our live blog here Sign up here for email updates See all of the Grand Prix winners here The Plug Inn app allows drivers to find available charging stations on a map, book a charging appointment and pay. Charging station owners use the same app to rent their spaces and monetize their home chargers. Even better: the solution could boost eco-friendly tourism in some of the country’s least-traveled towns, turning them into “electric villages.” The idea built on a previous Renault promotion that provided electric cars for everyone in the remote village of Appy, demonstrating drivers didn’t need to live in cities to drive electric cars. Four campaigns were awarded Gold Lions in creative strategy: “M&M’s—Spokescandies on Pause” for M&M’s by BBDO New York; “Me, My Autism and I,” for Vanish, by Havas London; “Morning After Island,” for Human Rights Activism, by Oglivy Honduras; and “The Last Performance” for Partners Life, by Special.

Renault’s ‘Plug Inn’ wins creative strategy Grand Prix

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