Citroën has presented “Calm Diffuser”, a new device designed to reduce the anxiety of dogs and cats during car trips. The proposal is based on a widespread insight among pet owners: vehicle trips often generate stress in animals, due to factors such as noise, vibrations or uncertainty of the destination. Compared to traditional solutions focused on smell or entertainment, the brand is committed to an approach based on behavioral science.
Thus, the device takes the form of an air freshener, but replaces the perfume with the release of synthetic pheromones approved by veterinarians, which replicate the calming signals that mothers transmit to their offspring. These are progressively diffused during the journey, with the aim of reducing the heart rate associated with stress and generating a feeling of security in the animal. In this way, Citroën transfers its historical positioning around comfort, traditionally linked to suspension or seats, towards an emotional dimension that also includes pets.
In this way, “Calm Diffuser” expands Citroën’s brand territory by incorporating a broader reading of the concept of comfort. “Comfort has never just been a matter of seats or suspension; it is also about the experience inside the vehicle”said Aline Germain, Citroën Marketing Director. The initiative responds to an increasingly relevant reality: the consideration of pets as part of the family nucleus, and therefore as indirect users of the mobility experience.
BETC Paris, creative manager of the project, has opted for a functional solution over a complex technological approach. “Instead of managing chaos, we seek to prevent it from the source”explained Nicholas Bakshi, Executive Creative Director of the agency.
The campaign will be deployed in digital environments and social networks, showing real reactions of pets during journeys to demonstrate the impact of the device. With this, Citroën seeks to connect with a problem recognizable to millions of drivers and reinforce its positioning around comfort, expanding its meaning towards new dimensions of use.
More info: Calm Diffuser
