Canal+: Unicorns
Canal+ wanted to solidify its reputation as a premium entertainment channel, known for cinematic storytelling. The client challenged BETC Paris to demonstrate how Canal+ transforms any story into an epic, compelling narrative. They aimed to attract new subscribers by showcasing the channel's unique ability to elevate content, making even simple scenarios feel extraordinary and dramatic, reinforcing their value proposition in a competitive market.
Creative Idea
Canal+ dramatized a unicorn's fall into an epic survival story, proving they make any moment cinematic.
Canal+ created a cinematic ad campaign that transforms an ordinary scenario of a unicorn falling into a dangerous forest into an epic story of survival, highlighting the brand's ability to make even the most mundane moments feel like extraordinary film narratives. The creative idea is to showcase Canal+'s storytelling prowess by dramatically reimagining a simple situation, demonstrating how their channel turns everyday scenes into compelling, dramatic experiences.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
As a premium broadcaster with deep roots in cinema, Canal+ could credibly deliver high-budget, feature-film-quality production. Their brand is synonymous with the 'seventh art,' allowing them to act as an expert storyteller rather than just a content distributor.
Category
The category typically relies on 'sizzle reels' and montages of existing film clips to prove value. Most competitors market their library size or subscription price instead of demonstrating their own creative contribution to the cinematic experience.
Customer
Cinemaphiles crave the emotional immersion of a great movie and feel a sense of fatigue toward generic TV promos. They seek out brands that share their sophisticated taste and appreciate dark, clever humor over simple, literal sales pitches.
Culture
The campaign tapped into a cultural love for revisionist mythology and the 'epic' aesthetic prevalent in 2010s fantasy cinema. It leveraged the shared global knowledge of Noah’s Ark to create a relatable yet surprising narrative twist.
Company
As a premium broadcaster with deep roots in cinema, Canal+ could credibly deliver high-budget, feature-film-quality production. Their brand is synonymous with the 'seventh art,' allowing them to act as an expert storyteller rather than just a content distributor.
Category
The category typically relies on 'sizzle reels' and montages of existing film clips to prove value. Most competitors market their library size or subscription price instead of demonstrating their own creative contribution to the cinematic experience.
Strategy:
Position the broadcaster as a master storyteller by using cinematic craft to humorously subvert legendary historical myths.
Customer
Cinemaphiles crave the emotional immersion of a great movie and feel a sense of fatigue toward generic TV promos. They seek out brands that share their sophisticated taste and appreciate dark, clever humor over simple, literal sales pitches.
Culture
The campaign tapped into a cultural love for revisionist mythology and the 'epic' aesthetic prevalent in 2010s fantasy cinema. It leveraged the shared global knowledge of Noah’s Ark to create a relatable yet surprising narrative twist.
Strategy:
Position the broadcaster as a master storyteller by using cinematic craft to humorously subvert legendary historical myths.
Strategy Technique
Exaggerate to Reveal the Truth
The campaign exaggerates a mundane unicorn event into an epic narrative. This reveals Canal+'s truth: it transforms any story into compelling, dramatic entertainment.
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Creative Technique
Reverse Expectations
The campaign takes a simple, whimsical unicorn scenario and dramatically transforms it into an epic survival story. This reverses audience expectations, showcasing Canal+'s ability to elevate any content.
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