The Citroën Ami is a tiny electric car. Cars too often represent status, and status symbol cars are not tiny. The Citroën Ami breaks the traditional rules of status so agency, BETC, broke the traditional rules of car advertising.
BETC’s Wanna Play? gives the little car a very different status. It makes city life more accessible. The absurdly fun campaign, directed by Torben Kjelstrup and produced by SOLDATS, transforms urban driving into a joyful ride full of confetti. All the obstacles in a driver’s path turn into confetti as she drives along, turning the city into a stress-free playground as she heads to the coast to relax. Until another Ami enters the scene…and the adventure begins again.
This new campaign is in line with Citroën’s latest campaigns, such as The Alien for the ë-C4 and The Révolution for the ë-C3, combining surreal settings and powerful storytelling.
“This campaign for Ami arrives with boundless energy and a real purpose. It perfectly captures what this car is supposed to bring to young urban drivers: making city life more accessible… and a lot more fun,” explained Federico Goyret, marketing and communications director at Citroën.
The confetti is the achievement of Antoine Moulineau and his special effects wizards at LIGHT studio, known for their work on blockbusters such as The Dark Knight and, more recently, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. After numerous tests of colors, density, and effects, the team succeeded in creating a world that is both surreal and incredibly fun.
Music was also a key element. Citroën has been placing increasing importance on music in its recent campaigns, with legendary tracks by David Bowie and Chicago. For Wanna Play?, the agency opted for a different approach with the contemporary track, Tukuntazo, by El Cherry Scom, Haraca Kiko, and Tokischa.
“The goal was to create a commercial that people would want to Shazam,” stated Nicholas Bakshi, creative director at BETC. ”We knew we had found the right song when, even after 100 hours of editing and listening to it on repeat, we still couldn’t get enough of it.”
The film is filled with lots of little details that highlight the Ami’s many unique features – its ability to be charged from a standard outlet, its ultra-compact size that makes it ideal for parking anywhere, and the appearance of a very young driver in the final shots, reminding us that you don’t even need a driving licence to enjoy driving an Ami (in Europe).
More than just a film, Wanna Play? is part of a broader narrative experience, imagined and animated on social media by BETC Fullsix. Drawing on digital and social media codes, this creative extension pushes the boundaries of traditional 360° campaigns, adopting a unique and playful tone while enriching the film’s universe.
The campaign launched on June 2 in France with a 30-second digital format and an entire ecosystem developed for social media, before being rolled out across Europe.
Credits:
Agency: BETC Paris
Chief Creative Officer: Stephane Xiberras
Creative Director: Nicholas Bakshi
Copywriter: Julia Heydemann
Art Director: Rayhaan Khodabux
Creative Producer: Magalie Dauleu
Director: Torben Kjelstrup
Production Company: SOLDATS
