09 May 2008This week...
New Citroën ad “unmistakably” memorable and risqué
In the week where most eyes in the industry were on Cadbury’s Dairy Milk’s sequel to last year’s “Gorilla” advertisement any other new ad has been fighting to be noticed.
However, Citroën’s new “Unmistakably German” ad, created by Euro RSCG, for its C5 model has done just that.
To the stirring soundtrack of the “unmistakably” German Wagner’s ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ our blonde haired, quite possibly blue-eyed, “unmistakably” German man is first seen fencing against the backdrop of a Bavarian castle. He climbs in his car and is seen driving past an “unmistakably” German stone eagle at the castle gates, before being served bratwurst by an “unmistakably” German fraulien. The ad concludes with our “unmistakably” German hero parking his car outside the Brandenburg Gate.
The ad’s central theme, if you haven’t yet noticed, is very clearly painted to its conclusion when you hear the narrator’s voice utter the strapline, adding, “Made in France,” and there lies the twist. The ad plays off the reputation of the very French Citroën’s German rivals to highlight the Teutonic qualities of the brand new C5. The point being the car has both French style and German reliability.
An amusing, wry and cheeky effort it definitely is, but any questioning soul may accuse the creators and client of packing in as many racial stereotypes into its 60 seconds as they can to ram home the “Unmistakeably German” theme.
Despite its questionable tone, or perhaps because of it, the ad is memorable and certainly visually arresting with stunning German landscapes framing the car and the ad’s star.
The ad’s arguably risqué theme raises it above the usual highly stylish but unmemorable car spots’, ensuring it lingers longer than most
Six out of ten
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