At the helm of his audiovisual production and consulting company Eligans, Nicolas Renier is behind the entire communication campaign surrounding the new French national football team jersey. And it’s not over yet…
He was a different kind of Bleus supporter this Thursday evening in front of his TV. In a few months before the 2026 World Cup in the United States, the French Football Federation entrusted the communication of the Bleus to the company Eligans. Leading the charge is Nicolas Renier, a 43-year-old Montalbanais, who is relishing “a significant milestone” in a carefully crafted journey. Eligans responded to a call for tenders from the FFF. And before the World Cup in the United States, receiving the positive response was seen as a rewarding achievement but also a major challenge.
Starting with all the communication related to the highly anticipated new tricolor jersey. “It’s great to have ideas, but you also need the capabilities to produce them in a very short time. We created a complete campaign in less than two months, including photos, videos, and a main film released this Friday evening,” recounts Nicolas Renier. From a first filming session in the Paris region in locations representing France, to a quick shoot at Clairefontaine last Monday during a “media day” at the tricolor training camp. Everything happens very quickly. “We have to do their makeup, dress them, explain the scene, and shoot. If we make a mistake, the film is ruined,” he adds. The final casting includes headliners like Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, and Adrien Rabiot.
At the heart of this campaign named “Libres de jouer” (Free to play) is a major challenge: to establish the new jersey in the collective imaginary. “It’s the jersey that the French will see for two years. It touches something emotional, almost common to everyone,” says Nicolas Renier. The exposure is immediate and massive, with every image garnering over a million views. The pressure is felt. Creating a strong concept and deploying it on a large scale is the work of an agency like ours. Additional photos and videos about the French team should be released before the World Cup, given the team’s monumental communication impact.
Eligans is not unknown in the national sports scene. A proud achievement for a passionate individual like Nicolas Renier, who recalls his beginnings in Montauban. “To find myself, the Montalbanais, who attended Montauban, Monplaisir college, and Michelet high school, facing Kylian Mbappé on a set – I could never have imagined it possible. The company was basically in my bedroom, at my parents’ house at the time,” he recalls. Renier started in cinema before finding success in audiovisual production with Eligans, focusing on quality. Today, his positioning allows him to stand out in a highly competitive sector and be recognized for his work with various clients.
Eligans, with a team of six to eight employees that can expand to 30 technicians for filming, is making waves in the industry. Renier’s love for sports, especially football and rugby with the USM, shines through as he enjoys being part of the French team’s campaign this year.
