THE LOST ART OF COPYWRITING: Citroen 2CV

So how do you advertise a car that is painfully slow, mechanically primitive, has zero acceleration and is not particularly attractive?

But it is cute, lovable, charming and will never let you down.

Have fun.

Which is just what Citroen’s ad agency, Colman’s did in the 1980s.

First off, do some comparison advertising that knocks the competition, like err, Ferrari, Rolls Royce and Porsche.

Have a dig at your competitor’s names.

Then take the mickey out of your competitors’ straplines.

The Intimate Driving Machine! is satirising BMW’s line, The Ultimate Driving Machine.

Frontiers Without Technology and Four Sprung Seats for Picnic! are ripping off Audi’s Vorsprung Durch Technik pay-off.

The Tortoise Goes From Strength to Strength! is quite similar to Peugeot’s The Lion Goes From Strength to Strength.

And of course, who can forget Vauxhall’s Once Driven, Forever Smitten. Certainly not Citroen.

You can also have fun with the usual car ad checklist of features.

Don’t forget the back story ad on how the car was refined and develolped.

And how about some more comparison advertising with other forms of transport.

Make a big splash about the range of colours available.

Finally, have some fun with the new super souped-up model, the Citroen 2CV Dolly.