Canal+: BLACK SWAN

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Guerilla Marketing in a Promotional Campaign

Advertiser: CANAL+

Product/Service: CANAL+

Agency: BETC LUXE

Global Creative Director: Stéphane Xiberras (BETC)

Creative Director: Olivier Apers (BETC)

Art Director: Aurélie Scalabre (BETC)

Copywriter: Patrice Dumas (BETC)

TV Producer: Elodie Andurand/Michel Teicher (BETC)

Director: Jean-Brice Lemal

Production Compagny: Isabelle Mocq-Orain (Rita)

Media placement: Ambient - Bois de Vincennes, Paris - 29/04/2012



Describe the objective of the promotion.

CANAL+ is a French premium pay-tv channel, with a reputation for being THE movie channel in France as well as a pop culture referent. They asked us to promote the broadcast of the very successful movie Black Swan due to be shown in May.

The objective: create a stand-out event that would appeal to both existing and new customers.



Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation.

Our idea was to promote the film in a very specific way: a remote controlled talking black swan swimming among real white swans and ducks, disturbing passers-by. Controlled by 2 people (the pilot and the voice) the swan’s role was to disrupt the harmony of a very quiet park, and announcing the movie programming.



Three hidden cameras filmed people’s reactions, to be shown on the CANAL+ website and on YouTube.



The idea: create interest + ugly duckling + unveil the programming.



Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service.

As CANAL+ is a paying channel, we also wanted to promote the way that CANAL+ tells stories, their 'touch' that makes CANAL+ a unique brand.

As a metaphoric image of the movie, this event allows us to go further than the pure movie promotion: we gave a real experience of how CANAL+ is more than just a TV channel.



Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results.

As the film was only launched at the end of April we do not have quantifiable data but the first reactions, as well as the reactions in the videos are very enthusiastic.