Citroën India has rolled out a new film for its ‘Flying Carpet’ suspension technology, and the approach borrows more from FMCG storytelling than typical automotive advertising.
The film opens with a woman driving while her son, seated beside her, struggles to use his phone as the car bumps over potholes and through traffic. Frustration builds between the two, with a few irritated exchanges along the way. Once they step out of the car, the woman instinctively reaches for her back, visibly in discomfort.
That’s when a Citroën representative, accompanied by a camera crew, arrives and introduces them to the brand’s car. Impressed by the ride, the duo take it for a test drive that runs far longer than intended, letting the product’s smoothness speak for itself.
What stands out is the film’s casual, matter-of-fact framing of a woman behind the wheel – treated as unremarkable rather than a deliberate statement, which feels like a quiet but effective choice. There’s also a subtler dig: a competing car brand appears to be referenced, albeit thinly masked, likely to the discomfort of its owner.
Rolled out on 26 June, the campaign leans into relatable, everyday pain points – bad roads, backaches, distracted passengers – rather than pushing specs or performance numbers, a storytelling style more commonly seen in FMCG advertising than in the auto category.
