Citroen’s Latest Campaign: Here’s Why It Was Taken Down!

Advertising in Egypt is becoming the business of jingles. Most marketers and brand managers are fixated on differentiation by creating buzzy campaigns and competing on being the loudest voice in the room, rather than being the most relevant, most value offering.

Customers, however, are drawn to relevance – the things that “connect with them”, the type of communication users would want to seek-out, and not screen out.

Celebrity choice in this ad was based on who has the most fans rather than one with the most relevant fans. The recording camera in the mirror (one of the brands’ main USPs) is irrelevant to its intended usage, and to brand ethics and values. It is supposed to capture the moments prior to the collision, to provide evidence, not to stalk and invade people’s privacy.

Citroen is known as an innovative car manufacturer, with technological inventions that have their signature on. Yet the takeaway was “Buy the car to pick girls up”, which not only lacks ownership but is also an outdated insight that is no longer relevant to today’s societal standards, especially in Egypt.

Amr Diab appeals to young audiences but is not relevant to the brand. A celebrity is a brand ambassador, not just a people pleaser. A celebrity is not the concept / Idea itself, but rather the representation of a concept.

This is a missed opportunity by citroenc4 that has several edges / low hanging fruits that can provide creative material, i.e (Progressive suspension invented by Citroen, dash camera, different drive modes).

People’s reaction to the campaign should be a reminder of the importance of relevance, which is being empathetic with your target audience, speaking their language, understanding their needs and desires, and knowing what problem they have that you can solve better than anyone else.

It’s not just about how customers think, but how they feel.

Advertising should not compete for your attention but instead, compete to help you thrive.