Citroën ë-C3 100% electric commercial — Truly a Revolution!

Citroën has always been synonymous with creative excellence in their advertising and the “New Citroën ë-C3 100% electric, the Revolution has begun” continues that tradition — but with an ironic twist.

The whimsical commercial for the ë-C3 shows a daring group of contemporary rebels crashing an ultra-lavish garden party to seize a fleet of ë-C3s from a crowd of wig-wearing elites. It parodies the French Revolution, and Marie Antoinette’s phrase, “Let them eat cake!” — creating a narrative that positions the ë-C3 as a vehicle for everyone and challenging the idea that environmentally friendly cars are only for the elite.

To the soundtrack of David Bowie’s “Suffragette City,” the rebels navigate a series of absurd security measures – polo players, a barrage of golf balls, and a haphazardly tossed tennis net – as the elites desperately try to keep electric cars out of the hands of the masses.

The commercial went live in France on June 1, 2024 and in all of Europe in July. And just as heads rolled in the French Revolution, Stellantis announced that effective the very day of the commercial launch on June 1, Thierry Koskas, CEO of Citroën since February 23, 2023 and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, would no longer be in those roles. The timing of Koskas “reassignment” (corporately positioned at the time that “he will now dedicate his strong sales and marketing expertise exclusively to the expansion of the Citroën brand”) caused speculation that when the bills were tallied for the elaborate ad and came to the attention of Stellantis’ CEO Carlos Tavares, who was hell-bent on cutting costs, his reaction was swift and decisive.

Nevertheless, The “Citroën ë-C3 100% electric, the Revolution has begun” campaign has been widely recognized for its innovative and impactful approach.

The commercial was filmed at Festetics Palace — a Baroque palace located in the town of Keszthely, Zala, Hungary. The building now houses the Helikon Palace Museum. The palace’s construction, started by Kristóf Festetics in 1745, lasted more than a century. In the commercial the spire on top of palace tower has been digitally transformed.

Ad Credits:
Ad Agency: BETC Paris
Chief Creative Officer: Stephane Xiberras
Creative Director: Nicholas Bakshi
Copywriter: Matt Jones
Art Director: Abi Stephenson
Designer: Anthony Tavares
Director: Fredrik Bond
Production Companies: La Pac, Stink Paris, Very Content

Accompanying the 80 second film was a series of equally comical :15 second product videos in which rebels hogtie, chase, and poke fun at the elites with the help of their fully-equipped ë-C3s; whilst calling out many of the cars standout features including best-in-class comfort, a first for the city car segment and the fact it’s made in Europe, without any compromise on design, comfort or technology. The campaign also included print, radio, and a full social media orchestration.

The campaign was conceived by BETC, a French advertising agency founded in Paris in 1995. The name of the company stands for Babinet, Erra and Tong Cuong, the founding members. The agency notably designed campaigns for clients such as Air France, Evian, Lacoste and Canal+, and was voted as the most creative agency for eight consecutive years.

Reward for an innovative campaign

On December 3, 2024, at the Adtech Awards gala, Citroën won the silver prize in the “Best TV advertising solution” category for its collaboration with Orange Advertising, Publicis Media, Starcom and Publicis Media Content. The award highlights the innovative strategy implemented to promote the new ëC3.

The winning project integrated an interactive car configurator accessible via Orange’s Canal 29 TV channel. This configurator allowed viewers to personalize the ëC3 model in real time. This digital solution, innovative in the field of television advertising, attracted attention and offered a unique user experience.

In addition to this interactive configurator, the campaign was supported by promotions on the Orange TV home screen through display and interstitial formats. The aim was to increase the visibility of the ëC3, while encouraging interaction with viewers in a fluid and modern way.

Another key dimension of this campaign was the precise evaluation of its effectiveness. By comparing the results of this interactive approach with those of a traditional linear TV campaign, the teams were able to observe a significant increase in engagement and reach.

Ultimately a marketing victory, but with a price to pay!