FRANCE – Citroën unearths its new cinematic campaign for ë-C4, evoking the brand’s playful spirit in a reimagining of the classic sci-fi alien-meets-human story trope.
In an era where premium automotive campaigns are centered on prioritizing sophistication over entertainment, Citroën, together with BETC, offered a fresh new take to connect with the audience’s emotions – marking a significant shift in the automotive industry’s approach to communications.
The film follows a compassionate young woman who risks everything to help her friend, a stranded alien, return to his ship. As military helicopters circle and government SUVs give chase, their journey in the ë-C4 becomes a tender story of trust and connection – until our alien friend reveals their true intentions in an unprecedented act of automotive desire.
“We wanted to play with classic sci-fi tropes as much as the audience’s emotions,” Citroën CMO Federico Goyret explained. “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.”
BETC Creative Director Nicholas Bakshi explained that they’re seeing a “move away from apologetic messaging toward pure entertainment” after European manufacturers finally made “the right electric products to reach people’s expectations in terms of sustainability.”
“The alien’s fascination with the car isn’t just about showcasing features – it’s about bringing joy and surprise back to automotive storytelling,” Nicholas added.
Like most films, sound design is vital in building a certain kind of emotion for the audience. The film’s original score was composed by the protege of Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, who ingeniously balanced wonder and suspense. Wave Studios, the people behind the Academy Award-winning sound of “The Zone of Interest” in 2024, built the alien’s unique language and the film’s immersive landscape. Meanwhile, Artem SFX in London was in-charge of specially-crafting the alien that feels otherworldly and absurdly cute.
“We’re creating a universe around this story,” Federico added. “Though we should mention that we don’t actually condone grand theft auto – even by extraterrestrial beings with irresistible puppy-dog eyes.”
Citroën and BETC’s new campaign will be deployed in various media – television, digital platforms, and social media – while being supported by print and outdoor executions, capturing the film’s biggest 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 alien – nicknamed Mike – ‘s continued adventures, including playful content showing them promoting the ë-C4 to their new human friends even in a Citroën dealership.
This latest work joins Citroën’s recent string of ambitious campaigns, including The Revolution for the new ë-C3 and The Iceskater for Citroën Light commercial vehicles, continuing the brand’s tradition of blending spectacular cinematography with a healthy dose of humor and unexpected twists.
CREDITS
Advertiser: Citroën
Product: ë-C4
Campaign: Out-of-This-World Campaign
Advertising Manager: Federico Goyret, Fabian Rodriguez, Sylvain Peraldi, Véronique Le Tallec, Alexandre Echaudemaison
Agency: BETC
Account Team: Bertille Toledano, Mehdi Benali, Benjamin Merllié, Benjamin Fleming, Manon Mangaud, Lorène Emprin, Koumba Sabara, Alexandre Copin
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 Production: Cyrielle Moustin
Strategic Planning: Etienne Averseng, Chloé Wren
SOME Team BETC Fullsix
Associate Creative Director: Rodolphe Marcotte
Lead Motion & Creative Makers: Marcus Thouant
Social Creative Lead: Quentin Lanoizelet
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:LA\PAC/VERY CONTENT
Director: Gary Freedman
Executive Producers: Hélène Ségol, Eric Lipchitz
CEO: 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 House: Mathematic
Post Producer: Françoise Hernandez
Editors: Adam Spivey , Quentin Kwiatkowski
VFX Producer: Arnaud Sourdeau
Colorist: Mathieu Caplanne
BETC Music Supervisor: 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
Main Music
Music Composer: Nathan Stornetta – Martin Batchelar
Music Title: “EC4 Goodbye My Friend”
Music Edition: Jamais 203 – GUP
Ending Music
Music Title: “BRAZIL” Interpreted by Pink Martini
Music Composer: Ary Barroso – Adaptation by SK Russell
Music Edition: Irmaos Vitale SA Industria E Comercio
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