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The focal point for the Japanese auto brand’s new compact-SUV launch was New Year’s Eve – primarily built around heavy sponsorship of ABC’s long running ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ telecast combined with prime product placement in New York’s Times Square.
2014 saw Ryan Seacrest host ABC’s legendary New Year celebration ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ live from Times Square (partnered by Jenny McCarthy from the network’s The View show). This year’s show featured performances from a star studdend line up of musicians from The Black Eyed Peas to Jennifer Hudson, Enrique Iglesias, and Robin Thicke.
This year’s show included ‘ABC’s TOP 10 Moments Of 2013 – Presented by Nissan’
Unique animated billboards designed for Times Square, the traditional US New Year’s Eve gathering place, showcased the redesigned Rogue during the final countdown to midnight in New York.
Both spots were showcased in prime Times Square placements spanning no less than five New York buildings.
During the actual midnight countdown sequence the animated digital billboards showcased the new Rogue and featured a further film celebrating all of Nissan’s most exciting moments.
A clip of which included the following:
This was followed by ongoing and refreshed Rogue advertising, centred around two new Rogue commercials, in Times Square throughout January.
In the days running up to New Year’s Eve, Nissan rolled out a new action-fuelled ‘Commute’ TV and cinema spot featuring the new Rogue reducing the ‘car-pool elapsed time’ by launching itself up a highway-bridge support ramp to ride piggy back on a train and then slipping off to a sliding stop in a company parking lot.
The spot comes complete with prominent ‘Do not attempt. Cars can’t jump on trains’ warning copy – of course.
The flagship ad was matched by another ‘Pick Up’ spot and both commercials, developed with agency TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, were directed by film director F Gary Gray – best known for his car chase work on The Italian Job.
The brand’s campaign aims to disrupt perceptions that this vehicle segment is dull – thus it presents the new 2014 model as a vehicle that provides ‘over-the-top and fantastical moments’ and focuses on ‘energy’ and ‘boldness’.
‘It’s obviously a larger-than-life moment,’ says Mike Awdish, senior manager of marketing and media for Nissan USA. ‘We wanted a marquee director who could do a high-action car shoot.’
Comment
There are few better platforms to reboot a brand via the launch a new product with a fresh approach than during the legendary, iconic ABC show New Year’s Rockin’ Eve – which has long been an annual ‘welcome in the new’ tradition for Americans.
The previous 2007 version of Rogue is Nissan’s second-highest-volume vehicle in the US, but the objective of this new approach is to shake up perceptions of Rogue and re-position the vehicle within the increasingly competitive compact-SUV segment.
The segment is not big enough for full families, so this new, more practical and flexible features (such as ‘easy-flex’ second-row seating that moves) helps the vehicle fit the bi-modal young Millennial and empty nester consumer groups.
‘It’s an ideal car for a transitional life stage, maybe knowing in the future that you might need more space,’ outlines Awash.
Links
Nissan Rogue TVC YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiprDsiDvIQ
Nissan USA Website
Times Square NY Website
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/
ABC New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Website
