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French ads: a world of wit, style, and artful persuasion

French ads are often characterized by their seductive, humorous, and creative nature, drawing viewers in with charm and wit. They prioritize style, sensuality, and poetic expression over factual information, distinguishing them from their American counterparts.

The specialty of French advertising lies in its ability to captivate audiences through subtlety, sophistication, and an artful approach to persuasion, making it a unique and intriguing facet of the global advertising industry.

French advertising differs significantly from US advertising. It’s often said that US ads aim to inform and persuade, while French ads seek to seduce. While I’m not entirely sure how accurate this distinction is, based on my limited exposure to French ads, I’ve found them to be vibrant, humorous, appealing, and incredibly creative. Are clients in France more open to experimenting with new ideas?

French commercials speak to French culture no less than French literature or music does.

New York Times writes, French commercials are said to appeal to the heart, not the wallet, and are known for being poetic, sensual, and stylish.

Long on sensuality, style and poetry, they are notably lean on facts and nearly allergic to the rough-and-tumble of commerce. It’s forbidden here to denigrate your competitors in a television advertisement or to instruct viewers to call a certain number now to buy a product (save for exceptional cases). Hard-sell tactics, standard in America, just don’t wash in France.

Let’s check out 12 new ads from France. They might not be the most famous ones you’ve seen, and you might think they’re just ordinary ads. But we like a dust laden uncared street flower, we will still find a distinct flavor of Frenchness in them.

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