Citroën Travels Through Time in Charming Animated Series Créateurs De Comfort

French car marque Citroën has unveiled its latest UK marketing campaign: a series of eight charming animated films inspired by the history-steeped stories behind some of its most iconic vehicles. Since being formed in 1919, Citroën has been at the forefront of automotive comfort – so, inspired by this rich heritage, this celebratory series looks at the past, present and future when it comes to comfort.

Devised by creative agency Havas London and brought to life by design studio Made by Radio, the 15” animations take inspiration from the brand’s centenary last year – referencing the style, typography, art direction as well as the colour palette and animation styles that have been adopted throughout the years, with care and attention paid to developing animations that perfectly encapsulate the Citroën brand. 

The first animation in the Créateurs De Comfort series is set against the backdrop of 1938 Paris and centres around a bank robbery and the legendary Citroën Traction Avant. The story sees a group of gangsters thinking they have escaped from the police in their Citroën Traction Avant, before the police ramp up their pursuit, but this time in the same iconic vehicle, catching the perpetrators in a dramatic ending. 

The second animation takes place in Normandy in 1948 and features the iconic Citroën 2CV. A farmer is in a hurry on his way to market, but thanks to the 2CV’s soft suspension, he can take a detour when his route is blocked without breaking any of the eggs he’s transporting. Eagled-eyed viewers will also notice the inclusion of an iconic Citroën road sign and some interesting market square detail in the animation. 

The other short films are a compilation of Citroën’s most iconic vehicles and their unique histories and achievements. The models featured have, at some point in the brand’s history, revolutionised automotive comfort, and the stories convey how Citroën’s comfort offering has advanced over the years.

They include the Type H van taking part in the 1969 Mount Ventoux cycle race and the CX Safari acting as the ‘original steady cam’ as part of the Aintree race meetings between 1980 and 1989. The series also includes Citroën’s newest model, C5 Aircross SUV taking on the steepest street in Wales, and a look to the future with its 19_19 Concept car.

All animations end with each of the iconic Citroën vehicles transforming into the new C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid, an iconic vehicle to kick-start the next chapter in the brand’s history, its Electrification Offensive.

The animation cells have also been adapted into a Marvel-style graphic comic entitled Incredible Comfort Tales, which will be made available to Citroën fans and stocked in the Citroën Boutique Lifestyle store.