BETC’s humour rises above advertising clichés in its new campaign for Citroën. Yes, the agency has chosen the much-used “ET go home” scenario to show off the new ë-C4’s features, and there’s the classic car chase – but wait for the surprise of the ending’s twist. Kudos to director, Gary Freedman, for weaving relationship, suspense, action and humour into a 60-second spot.
“We wanted to play with classic sci-fi tropes as much as the audience’s emotions,” explained Federico Goyret, CMO of Citroën. “You watch this wonderful relationship develop, see them working together to reach the mothership, and just when you think you know where the story is going – our adorable alien pulls off the ultimate betrayal, choosing the comfort of the ë-C4 over their trusted human friend. It’s heartbreaking and hilarious all at once.”
“With European manufacturers finally making the right electric products to reach people’s expectations in terms of sustainability, we’re seeing a move away from apologetic messaging toward pure entertainment,” added Nicholas Bakshi, BETC creative director. “The alien’s fascination with the car isn’t just about showcasing features – it’s about bringing joy and surprise back to automotive storytelling.”
The film’s sound design plays a crucial role in building its emotional depth. The original score, composed by a protégé of Hans Zimmer, balances wonder with suspense. Meanwhile, the alien’s unique language and the film’s soundscape were crafted by Wave Studios, fresh from their Academy Award-winning work on The Zone of Interest. The adorable alien itself was brought to life by the team at Artem SFX in London, crafting a creature that feels both otherworldly and absurdly cute.
“We’re creating a universe around this story,” Goyret added. “Though we should mention that we don’t actually condone grand theft auto – even by extraterrestrial beings with irresistible puppy-dog eyes.”
The campaign is running across television, digital platforms, and social media, supported by print and outdoor executions that capture the film’s most poignant moments. It will also extend beyond traditional channels through an extensive and original digital ecosystem produced by BETC Fullsix. Social media platforms will feature the continued adventures of the alien, nicknamed Mike, including playful content showing it promoting the ë-C4 to its new human friends in a Citroën dealership.
The campaign will go live on February 2 in France with a 60-second TV format and then will be broadcast across Europe and Turkey on TV and social channels.
Credits:
Client: Citroën [Ë-C4]
Client Team: Federico Goyret, Fabian Rodriguez, Sylvain Peraldi, Véronique Le Tallec & Alexandre Echaudemaison
Creative Agency: BETC
President & Chief Creative Officer: Stéphane Xiberras
Creative Director: Nicholas Bakshi
Copywriter: Olivier Mille
Art Director: Morgane Alexandre
Graphic Designer: Anthony Tavares
Creative Ressources Coordinator: Kemi Zinsou & Nathalie Sanseigne
Creative Producers: Magalie Dauleu & David Green
Agency Post Producer: Cyrielle Moustin
Account Team: Bertille Toledano, Mehdi Benali, Benjamin Merllié, Benjamin Fleming, Manon Mangaud, Lorène Emprin, Koumba Sabara & Alexandre Copin
Strategic Planning: Etienne Averseng, Chloé Wren
Digital Agency: BETC FullSix
Associate Creative Director: Rodolphe Marcotte
Lead Motion & Creative Makers: Marcus Thouant
Editorial Designer: Alexia Jalouneix
Creative Maker: Laure-Astrid Ntsiba
Account Manager: Oscar Peteil
Project Manager: Grégoire Krimianis
Digital Producer: Thomas Recouderc-Meunier
Digital Producer: Donatien Guepratte
Production Company: Very Content
Director: Gary Freedman
Executive Producers: Hélène Ségol, Eric Lipchitz, Jérome Denis
Line Producer: Aurélia Lafaye
Production Coordinator: Marie Mezeray
Director Of Photography: Khalid Mohtaseb
1st Assistant Director: Didier Mallet
VFX Supervisor: Jehan Bouazza
Executive Service Production: Division
Animatronic Studio: Artem
Post-Production: Mathematic
Post Producer: Françoise Hernandez
Editors: Adam Spivey & Quentin Kwiatkowski
VFX Producer: Arnaud Sourdeau
Colourist: Mathieu Caplanne
BETC Music Supervisors: Seril Farran & Adam Ghoubali
Sound Studio: Gum
Head Of Production: Sidney Guillen
Gum Producers: Marion Torreilles, Athénaïs Rubio
Gum Sound Engineer: Marc Eres
Sound Design Studio: Wave Studios
Wave Studios Sound Designer: Ben Gulvin
Wave Studios Audio Producer: Phoebe Baltaza
