These gorgeous chocolate ads juxtapose the best and worst of France

France is heading back into lockdown this week, making the advertising industry's annual rendez-vous in Cannes look increasingly unlikely. And, judging by the creative from a new chocolate campaign by TBWA/Paris, the nation might not be feeling 100% about itself anyway. The print ads for Le Chocolat des Francais depict both positive and negative cliches about the country; the positive images on the chocolate bars themselves, and the negative in the design around them. One bleeds into the other and the tagline is "only keep the best of France." For example, an image of the Arc de Triomphe is surrounded by a wider scene of crowded streets with people holding up placards saying "Strike," a nod to the country's reputation for constant industrial action. A scene in Pigalle depicts a fun performance at the storied Moulin Rouge, but the seedy reality is sex shops, peep shows and creepy men in coats. A family in a car going on vacation are revealed to be in a furious traffic jam, and a pair of feet in glamorous heels are stepping through litter and rats. Intricate designs depict the dichotomies beautifully. They were created by artists Beatrix de Gevigney, Clément Soulmagnon, Laurène Boglio, Hubert Poirot Bourdain, Leonie Despres, Charlotte Molas and Simon Bournel-Bosson. TBWA, meanwhile, says they're designed to "pay tribute to the French life we all miss so much." We'll raise a glass of rose to that.

These gorgeous chocolate ads juxtapose the best and worst of France

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