Friends Master the Art of Being a Rat for Canal+

Meet Zoé, Elie, Lila, and Yanis, a group of friends united by a single passion: mastering The Art of Being a Rat.

Created for Canal+ and brought to life by BETC, produced by BOL, and directed by Device, this campaign is crafted specifically for the 22-to-26 age group. Every aspect from the storytelling and visuals to the humour is meticulously tailored to resonate with this audience.

Developing the main characters was one of BOL's biggest challenges. Since they’re rats only in spirit, the team steer clear of social class stereotypes. BOL put a lot of thought into their acting, gestures, voices, slang, clothing and personalities to ensure they felt genuine and relatable. Infusing subtle, adult humour was essential to shaping the characters. Focusing on crafting clever dialogues and assembling a top-notch cast of voice actors. By avoiding childish jokes and worn-out clichés, BOL ensured the humour was fresh and the characters remained authentic and relatable.

For the visual style, BOL drew inspiration from contemporary anime influences that truly connect with generation z. The team made an extensive exploration to fine-tune the style, meticulously crafting every background detail and experimenting with a variety of facial expressions and actions for the characters. The lighting played a big role in this campaign, since it highlights the essence of this lifestyle, whether it’s catching an early morning flight or collecting cups at the end of a festival, these moments truly define what it means to be a rat. 

The sound design plays a crucial role in making every action immersive and setting the unique ambience of each scene. Equally important is the voiceover, which defines and brings the characters to life.

By bringing all these elements together, BOL put together a fun and fresh campaign that any thrifter will totally rat-ify.