Classical composer Riopy swaps pianos for cars, and gets in the driving seat to play the longest musical score in the world, with his 'precision instrument' - the new Peugeot 508.
Keeping the pleasure of driving at the heart of Peugeot's strategy, the campaign, created by BETC Paris, sees the car brand valorize the technical fineness of its cars through an artistic performance.
When asked how your car performs, the general answer is “it runs well, 0-60 in not many seconds.” Presenting a new take on a ‘car’s performance,’ Peugeot commissioned the composer and pianist Riopy to write a song that could be interpreted by the new fastback.
Working on such Oscar-winning films as The Danish Girl and The Shape of Water, Riopy is quite accomplished for his age. Yet, the new score which covers 1,890m of racetrack and contains 190 musical notes, is undeniably a gear change.
Overcoming technical challenges, the live performance is a life-size replica of the musician’s original score written exclusively for Peugeot.
Relaying sheet music onto a racetrack, the film follows two 508’s rhythmically gliding along a staff that stretches for almost two kilometres, hitting notes in a nature similar to Guitar Hero.
In place of musical notes, the racetrack staff is lined with sensor detectors which notify the multi-coloured sensors mounted underneath the cars, which then triggers the associated sound in the original score.
The end result is a unique ephemeral piece, enhanced by a live orchestra who are sat at the side of the race track.
Overcoming a genuinely technical challenge, this unprecedented live performance was not a walk in the park and took a team of engineers, technicians and musicians six months to complete.
Talking about the composition, Riopy said: “As a musician, I’m always looking to push back the limits. I’m pleased that I succeeded in creating a piece that speaks to the heart while respecting a number of constraints. It is a totally new way of creating music”.
According to Tiphaine du Plessis, managing director in charge of BETC Paris, the campaign "reflects the mindset of a brand that has shown no qualms about breaking the mould in a sector often perceived as ageing”.
