Renault’s Nail Polish / Touch-up Paint Combo
The sad truth is, once it gets its first scratch, nick or scrape (in your heart) it stops being a new car and becomes just, well, a car. Oh, everyone (from late-night infomercials to NASA) have tried to sell you their patented touch-up pen/wax/acid/laser but the one thing they ALL lack: they’re not made by the people who made your new car. Say hello to Renault’s range of Twingo nail polish!
Yes, you read that right. The global automaker has entered the treacherous fashion arena, releasing a limited edition nail polish, paired to the factory colors of the popular hatchbacks of the same name. Although the adhesive is perfectly suited to being used as a nail polish (and is, in fact, marketed as such) its true appeal lies in the fact it has been formulated to seamlessly touch up the coat of the car.
No, don’t laugh. Even when it hasn’t been specially formulated to save you a trip to the panel beater, nail polish is, perhaps, one of the most stubborn and hard-wearing adhesives on the planet. It is perfect for marking and identifying metallic objects that spend a lot of time in the unforgiving company of other metallic objects, such as keys and locks. If you’ve never streaked a bolt-and-nut with nail polish (so you’ll know if they’re coming undone) you’re not the DIY genius you think you are.
And be honest: would you not (regardless of whether you enjoy fabulous nails) sleep more soundly knowing you have a tried and tested touch-up kit in your glovebox? Benjamin De Blanzy does. He’s the chief executive of the cosmetic company who partnered with Renault on this project. He admitted that he’d started using the product himself (on his car).
Unfortunately, the television ad promoting Twingo nail polish came under fire from the French feminist trenches. Marie-Noelle Bas of the feminist watchdogs, Chiennes de Garde, said the ad “reduces women to their beauty concerns and their inability to drive.”
In the ad, the Twingo owner returns to her parked car to find it scratched. “Ouch!” she says and whips out her Twingo nail polish to fix her nails and her car in one stroke. The irony, of course, is that it is obvious from her surprise she didn’t scratch her own car (which, by the way, appears to be perfectly parallel parked). So Chiennes de Garde must be implying that some other woman driver bumped it. Who’s “reducing” women now?
Even more unfortunately, the nail polish is not sold outside France. How’s that for limited? More’s the pity. I rather think I could have pulled off some bright blue toenails. They go with bright blue flip-flops.
Do not despair. This simply means you’ll have get yourself a fabulous Renault (and get yourself some fabulous nails elsewhere). Don’t just sit at home biting your nails! Test drive a Renault today!
