'Emily in Paris' season 4: Let's talk about THAT car scene

09/15/2024 11:54 PM

The final episodes of season four of Netflix’s wildly successful romantic-comedy series, Emily in Paris, have arrived for your binging pleasure and car lovers will spot one particularly bizarre scene in Episode 10.

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With regular storylines based around the titular Emily and her colleagues at a public-relations and marketing firm, references to real brands (ala McLaren in Season 3) are all part of the pseudo-reality presented in the show.

However, in the final episode of season four, product-placement is taken up a notch with a full-featured commercial for the new Renault 5 E-Tech electric hatchback worked into the show.

And it’s not even in Paris!

For… reasons… Emily and her crew are in Rome and PR boss Sylvie is meeting an old flame who just happens to be directing a commercial for the new Renault 5, except rather than introducing this through the tempo of the show, the ad itself is shown in its own contextual universe.

In the commercial, which is shown initially in black-and-white, a glamourous woman is seen exiting a restaurant through a throng of 1960s-era paparazzi, only to make a hasty getaway in the new electric hatch, which is the only item represented in colour. The car is shown in Iconic Five specification and is finished in Yellow Pop with a black roof and red roof stripe.

The location of the commercial is outside Harry’s Bar on Via Veneto in Rome, and the car is seen escaping photographers on Vespas by driving under the historic Porta Pinciana stone gate, notably on the wrong side of the road.

The ‘real’ show continues after the ad with Sylvie speaking to the director, with the ‘behind the scenes’ camera and rigging hardware in shot.

The electric 5 is not the only Renault to feature in the show either, with Emily shown travelling to the fictional town of Solitano in an Renault Austral Hybrid SUV.

Meanwhile, a montage sequence with the characters at a polo tournament curiously (and with no additional reference in the series) shows a static display of the limited (only 32 made) Alpine A110 R ‘Fernando Alonso’ Edition sports coupe.

Keen car-spotters may also note the new electric Lotus Eletre SUV parked outside the Roman hotel Emily arrives at in, yes, another Renault taxi.

The step from product placement to outright advertisement may fit within the marketing agency context of the show, but the way the clip has been set into the show is somewhat jarring, even for a light-hearted rom-com like Emily in Paris.

The new Renault 5 was launched this month in Europe and features a 52kWh battery with 110kW output and 408km range (WLTP claim). While not confirmed, Renault Australia has said it is considering the retro-hatch for the Australian market.

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