Citroen is unmistakably German
February 27, 2008
Citroen is out with a new spot for the UK market. UK car shoppers first consider German cars, then others. Based on this insight, Citroen goes all the way and uses every German cliché about Germany and Germans. It is a bold move for a french brand.
Also refreshingly absent are description of product benefits cluttering the experience. Rather, the whole spot is used to communicate the “unmistakeably German” message with a sense of German humor. The campaign is also supported by a German-Test Website, which, unforunately mistakes Mozart for being not German.
Kudos to Citroen for having the brand balls to move away from boring and uninspired product advertising to category-shifting, unconventional communications!
Thanks, Philip!
Entry Filed under: Communication, Creative, Strategy, TV, Web, advertising, companies, funny, video, viral. .
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1.
Olly | February 27, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Actually, Mozart was born in Salzburg. which is in Austria.
2.
jotha | February 28, 2008 at 1:54 am
TODAY Salzburg is Austrian. But when at the time Mozart was born Salzburg belonged to the “Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation”. The Austrian Nation did not exist at that time. So Mozart is rather German than Austrian. Otherwise you would have to call Immanuel Kant a Russian… (born in Königsberg, East Prussia – today Kaliningrad)
3.
formfaktor | March 1, 2008 at 12:32 am
Yes Jotha, This is why Austrians are the best marketing people: The whole world thinks Mozart is Austrian when he was actually German. Conversely, the whole world thinks Hitler was German, when in fact, he was Austrian.
4.
tim buesing | March 7, 2008 at 2:19 pm
not that groundbreaking when Ford Fiesta all over the world praises its German engineering, e.g. here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaLh9K1LdKc
but the french must have “swallowed a huge toad” to produce this tvc
5.
Malkie | May 4, 2008 at 4:28 pm
The Citroën spot has “unmistakeably Nazi overtones” in my book. Why? Have a look here – Citroën spot
6.
Malkie | May 4, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Won’t let me post the link but it’s at welcometowallyworld.com/frontpage/2008/5/3/citroen-unmistakeably-german-ad.html