The stars of Channel 4’s long-running fly-on-the-wall series appearing in the ad are Mary & Giles, Marcus & Mica, Jenny & Lee and Pete & Sophie, and they are all filmed in the same rooms that viewers see each week. Like the show, the cast were unscripted in their commentary, with the pairs joking between themselves and commenting on the good looks of the New ë-C4, which is a battery electric version of the recently launched New Citroën C4 hatch.
Philosophie
This is the first time that Citroën has included famous faces in its advertising and this move is a way for the brand to cosy up to British culture with a smile and a nod with the TV commentators. These icons of fun and cosy familiarity are a change to car marketing which rarely includes well known faces in their recognisable environments. It ends with the strapline ‘the French car that speaks your language’, which was created by Havas for Citroën and first appeared earlier this year. The ad will premiere exclusively on Channel 4 during tonight’s Celebrity Gogglebox, and will continue to run on TV, online video and social media for a two-month period. Along with the full, 60-second film, there are 30-, 15- and six-second edits. Media is through Mediacom.
Problème
The twist here is that, for once, we get to see what they are seeing as the camera cuts to their point of view – revealing that they’re not watching television but reacting to a real life New ë-C4 that has materialised in the room with them. Even Jenny & Lee’s static caravan has mysteriously expanded to accommodate the car.