Of course the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and Louvre are a must for every tourist to Paris. But those who really love the city on the Seine don’t necessarily love it for its landmarks, but rather for its charm and savoir vivre. And where can one experience this to the fullest? Of course in the public squares of Paris. Not the big ones, but the small ones filled with a magical atmosphere. Like the Place du Marché-Sainte-Catherine in the Le Marais quarter, where the original, natural Paris lives on.
Remi Gilbert has a a good time: „C’est bon!“ is what he says about the Corsa.
Its cobble stone pavement is surrounded by seven bistros where guests can relax outside while the city’s beauties stroll by. Bistro owners such as Remi Gilbert from the “Le Marché” restaurant serve their guests refreshments. He looks like Gerard Depardieu in his younger years, does not speak any foreign languages, has no problem communicating with tourists and stays calm and cool even when something very unusual is taking place.
A “PLACE DE LA CORSA” IN THE MIDDLE OF PARIS? “C’EST BON”.
Like for instance when the square and bistros are no longer overrun by “normal“ customers, but rather by journalists with notebooks and cameras, and a brand-new red Corsa parked right in front of his restaurant is in the limelight, getting all the attention for the next hours. “C’est bon,“ nods Remi.
“You’ve got to come up with this kind of idea first,” the “Autogazette” will write the next day.
Opel invited media representatives to this pre-event one day before the official world premiere of the new Corsa. “We are happy to do this,” says Peter Vos, Manager Brand Communications. “Before the stressful press days begin, we present the journalists our cars in a relaxed atmosphere where they can speak with engineers and Opel managers at their leisure.” The same approach was taken two years ago with the ADAM.
Looks original but is not: The Place du Marché-Saint-Catherine turns into „Place de la Corsa“, just for one day.
And it is appreciated. Most media representatives come directly from the airport, and are still quite stressed at the beginning. But after they’ve stored their luggage away, it doesn’t take long for the Paris flair to relax them – and lively shop talk starts in the bistros. Opel representatives on site include Tina Müller, Vice President Marketing, and the designers Mark Adams, Malcolm Ward and Friedhelm Engler.
PLENTY OF “FODDER” FOR PHOTO JOURNALISTS
According to Peter Vos, the Corsa is “stylish, lively, down-to-earth”. That the Place du Marché-Sainte-Catherine, that has been re-named “Place de la Corsa“ for these days, so perfectly reflects this character is maybe also due to Frenchman Jean-Philippe Kempf from the European Brand Communications leadership team. Natives are simply the best location scouts.
And …. Action! Doris Rouesne and her Corsa in the middle of a film shoot.
It’s not just about discussions, the photo journalists need fodder too. Not only is the new Corsa available for photo sessions, so are models of its four predecessors – “decorated” with two-legged models that take us back to the corresponding generation. Silwia Boracka presents the Corsa B in a business suit from the 1990s, Doris Rouesne wears a tennis outfit reminiscent of the special Corsa edition “Steffi Graf”. And who says models only look good? The ladies not only maneuvered the cars onto the square themselves, they also backed them into the narrow side streets to park them after the event. A skill that also led Remi to nod appreciatively: “C’est bon”.
“Not only does the square have Paris charm, it is also wonderfully three-dimensional,” says Dr. Michael Thalwitzer, editor-in-chief of “Car-News.TV”. “Regardless of the angle our camera crew chose to film the Corsa, they always had French flair in the background.”
Paparazzi everwhere – and the Corsa has no chance to escape.
INFORMAL, CASUAL, LAID-BACK – TRUE CORSA FEELING
Getting to know a new model means not only looking, talking about and photographing it – it also means driving it, and the media representatives also had the opportunity to do this. “Just great,” says Christopher Clausen from “AutoBild”, after he navigated through the streets of Le Marais with Chief Engineer Werner Jöris. And with that he meant not only the new Corsa, but also the whole pre-event. “Finally, instead of the normal rigid schedule, simply casual yet super informative talks, then add to that the French ambience and good food – absolutely fantastic.” And no one can claim the pleasant atmosphere kept the journalists from their work: just a few hours later, Christopher Clausen’s report was online.
Even hours later, designer Friedhelm Engler is not tired of explaining the new Corsa inside and out to the journalists – which is also because he feels his excitement is being shared. “Above all, the interior is seen as revolutionary”. At the end of the day he is beat but satisfied. “I think we communicated real Corsa feeling.” And that can never be a bad thing, Remi also agrees: “C’ est bon”.
Italians portray seven women in the automotive industry – including Tina Müller.
Signore Pelligrini, you are portraying the seven most important women in the automotive industry for Italian’s largest daily “La Repubblica”. What is the idea behind your series of articles?
I think that women’s influence in all sectors of industry is growing right now. This is particularly interesting to observe in the automotive branch, which has been traditionally dominated by men. But at the moment it is being forced to change, to develop a new mentality and look for new ideas. I think that women can make a major contribution to this. And especially at GM the female component has not only grown in terms of numbers in the past years, it is also expressed in positions of responsibility.
Do women have a different view of cars and the corresponding business?
Maybe not yet in terms of technology, but that can change with time. But I think they set many new priorities, for instance in terms of style and design. They also bring a new sensitivity for image, and re-think the media’s function and role. Women’s influence is even growing in Formula 1 racing.
You just interviewed Tina Müller for your series of articles. What impression did you have of the Opel Marketing Vice President?
Of course it’s odd that as a successful manager in the cosmetics industry she moved into an entirely new field. But I think I understand her motivation. I found her to be a very enthusiastic person who has a lot of intuition, but also a very strong character.