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Advertisings
André Citroën, father of automotive advertising
The saga started in 1919. André Citroën wasted no time in announcing the birth of the renowned10 HP Type A. He even started broadcasting the good news a few months ahead of time, taking out full-page ads in the newspapers to proclaim the imminent launch of "France's first mass-produced car". Not content with being one of the forerunners of industrial vehicle production, André Citroën also invented one of its corollaries: mass communication.Citroën on display
The first advertising media used by Citroën were illustrations and posters signed by well known artists of the time. A Citroën ad in 1919 showed 10 HPs hatching out of eggs laid by… a rooster smoking a pipe in the shape of a chimney stack, symbolising the Javel plant. Today, although the objective remains the same – to build the brand name and win customers – we should point out that in 1919, the car had yet to fully establish itself as a new form of transport. In order to sell his cars in significant quantities, André Citroën therefore needed to quickly build up public support.
We cannot talk about this pioneering age without mentioning one of Citroën's most creative colleagues: Pierre Loüys. Originally a car designer, he became artistic director in charge of Citroën’s photography and advertising in 1920. In this capacity, he designed many posters for the Marque, highlighting the models in the range and the new customer services.