Continuing their partnership of over 15 years, Canal+ has enlisted BETC for a triptych of ads unveiling a new streaming service that also offers the full Netflix catalogue. The Paris-based agency has helped to create some memorable spots for the French TV channel in the past, which often go to great lengths to show how great TV is made.

This time, however, the campaign shows how ads are made, building on the recent trend of brands favouring ‘meta’ advertising. The first and third ads take place behind the scenes of the set, exposing the inner workings of a shoot that becomes increasingly complicated as French actor Kad Merad struggles to grasp his instructions not to mention ‘Netflix’. Meanwhile, the second ad focuses on a family sat around the dinner table discussing the first ad, where it’s revealed the father doesn’t appear to know what Netflix is – much to the surprise/horror of his daughter.

The new spots continue a trend established in Canal+ ads as far back as the award-winning March of the Emperor spot, of illustrating how confusion can be comedic.

Here the confusion is multi-layered, and gets to the heart of the fact that television itself – with its many interlinked brands and formats – is pretty hard to fully fathom nowadays.

Credits:
Agency: BETC 
ECD: Stéphane Xiberras
Creative Director: Eric Astorgue
Creatives: Martin Rocaboy
Production company: Henry
Director: Martin Werner