Rio 2016 organising committee partner Nissan is activating its rights as the official auto sponsor of the Olympic Games with a campaign fronted by athlete ambassador Usain Bolt that challenges the fastest man on the planet to take on his toughest competitor yet – fire.
Endorser Bolt, the Japanese car company’s Global Director of Excitement takes on the element in a digital campaign rolling out in Brazil that is spearheaded by a short film (and which features the sprinter driving a custom-made Nissan GT-R painted Bolt Gold).
The six-time Olympic gold medalist and most famous track athlete off the era faces up to an all new challenge in a documentary style ‘Bolt vs Flame’ film when he tackles the speed of fire itself as the (fictional) ‘Fire Research Laboratory’.
In the video, Bolt shares his feelings about what it is like to be the fastest person on Earth and how he prepares to compete on the world’s biggest stage.
‘I set goals for myself. My goal is to be the greatest,’ he says.
The full length ‘Bolt vs Flame’ two-minute film,
also comes in a 30-second TV-friendly cut-down version.
They are supported by a robust, primarily Brazilian social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter,
3… 2… 1… #BoltVsFlamehttps://t.co/3Hgf3fjQBD
— Nissan Brasil (@Nissan_Oficial) July 7, 2016
Um filme rápido como correr 100 metros. #BoltVsFlame #GTRhttps://t.co/Eyc5csio1X
— Nissan Brasil (@Nissan_Oficial) July 1, 2016
featuring a series of 9.58 second videos and movie posters created from 19,000 actual matchsticks being lit on fire for dramatic effect.
Mais um desafio para o homem mais rápido do mundo até os Jogos Rio 2016. Vem aí #BoltVsFlame #GTR pic.twitter.com/GNK9JJWukB
— Nissan Brasil (@Nissan_Oficial) July 2, 2016
O @usainbolt vai fazer de tudo para estar pronto nos Jogos Rio 2016. Até correr contra o fogo. Vem aí #BoltVsFlame pic.twitter.com/zWmwtoZnoc
— Nissan Brasil (@Nissan_Oficial) July 2, 2016
Further footage and the inevitable behind-the-scenes video will roll out over the next month as the games draw ever closer.
‘Usain Bolt’s daring attitude to always go further is inspiring. We wanted people to experience the inner strength of the most famous sprinter in history when posed with a challenge to reach even further,’ explains Ronaldo Znidarsis, VP Marketing & Sales, Nissan Brazil.
‘This is also an opportunity for fans to see Usain with his custom Nissan GT-R, which soon will be available in Brazil. To see the world’s fastest man driving the world’s fastest mass-produced car is exhilarating.’
The 2017 Nissan GT-R itself is scheduled for launch in Brazil in the second half of 2016.
Activative Comment:
It was as far back as February 2012, after six months of negotiations, that the Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games announced that Nissan had signed up as the automotive sponsor of the Rio Olympic Games – becoming the Games’ fifth tier one partner and the sixth domestic sponsor overall.
At the time Nissan joined Organising Committee tier one partners/official sponsors Bradesco, Bradesco Seguros, Claro, Embratel and Nissan, as well as tier two supporter Ernst & Young Terco.
These commercial partnerships added to the ongoing IOC TOP Worldwide Olympic Partners Coca-Cola, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
Nissan’s Games programme will span a consistent mix of products, services and financial backing for the event, a commitment to the event and the brand’s sustainability goals, plus a an integrated Nissan support plan that will span a programme to support young aspiring athletes on their road to the Games, legacy programmes to create positive lasting social impact, and inclusive marketing programmes aimed at spreading the Olympic experience throughout Brazil.
This also includes the provision of 4,500 vehicles of different models which are required by Rio 2016 at Games time to transport clients, such as athletes, technical officials, media, operational teams, National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, the International Olympic Committee and commercial partners.
The entire Games car fleet will prioritise the use of clean energy (ethanol or electricity) supporting Rio 201’s efforts to achieve sustainability targets across the Games.
The auto outfit has also assembled ‘Nissan Team’ to support 31 Brazilian athletes with Olympic and Paralympic potential who are being mentored by Nissan Brazil ambassadors Hortência Marcari (a Brazilian basketball icon and Olympic medallist) and Clodoaldo Silva ( one of the biggest Paralympic medalists of all time).
‘Nissan is very proud to be a partner of Rio 2016,’ said Carlos Ghosn, CEO and President of Nissan at the time.
‘Our multiple connections with Brazil are deep; in 2014 we open a new world-class manufacturing plant in Resende, state of Rio de Janeiro. As a showcase for the energy and vision of Brazil, the Olympic Games are a natural fit for Nissan. We look forward to contributing towards making the Rio 2016™ Games a world-class event for the city, state and country. ‘
To further support the excellence of Games operations, Nissan will also provide a wide range of services, such as driver training and expertise for logistics solutions to meet the complexity of the event.
Nissan Olympic Activation Summary:
· Olympic Fleet: As the official automotive partner of Rio 2016, Nissan’s cornerstone activation has been the provision of 4,200 vehicles to serve as the official Olympic Fleet, both in the lead up to the Games for the Olympic Torch Relay across Brazil and throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
· Nissan Kicks: the official vehicle of Rio 2016, was launched in Brazil to coincide with the start of the Games, the first time Nissan has conducted the global launch of a car in Latin America before being made available in more than 80 countries around the world. Kicks was developed and designed to reflect the vibrant culture, style and colors of Brazil.
· Nissan Kicks Hotel: On Copacabana Beach, the buzzworthy Nissan Kicks Hotel, was the only fully-rebranded hotel property of the Rio Games, complete with interior and exterior Nissan signage, Olympic-themed dynamic displays and rooftop parties in partnership with Universal Music and VOGUE Brasil. The parties celebrated Brazilian culture and featured top acts that performed in the Opening Ceremony. Nissan also hosted press conferences with Olympic athletes and Usain Bolt’s parents, Wellesley and Jennifer.
· Olympic Live Sites: Central to Nissan’s efforts has been a 40-meter (131-foot) high bungee jump on Olympic Boulevard, with additional activations including the “Nissan Kicks House” in the Olympic Park’s Live Site in Barra, where the public can learn about the company’s technologies, visit the exclusive Torch area and play games related to the recently-launched Nissan Kicks.
· BladeGlider and e-Bio Fuel-Cell prototypes: Unveiled by CEO Carlos Ghosn in Rio on August 4, Nissan offered test drives of its high performance electric sportscar prototype, BladeGlider, and showcased its e-Bio Fuel-Cell prototype, a first-of-its-kind in Brazil that runs on bio-ethanol electric power.
· Usain Bolt, Nissan’s Global Director of Excitement: Bolt is featured in a digital campaign in which he races against a new and unexpected challenger – fire. A pair of mini-documentaries feature Bolt competing against fire, his toughest competitor. Bolt also drives his Nissan GT-R painted in “Bolt Gold,” which was exclusively customized for him. Nissan also created a fan-led “Happy Bolt Day” social media activation to celebrate the Olympic champion’s 30th birthday.
· Team Nissan: Nissan proudly supports the Olympic teams of Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico, Colombia and Greece. In 2012, Nissan created the “Team Nissan” program in Brazil with the goal of supporting Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. Since then, Nissan has provided 31 Brazilian athletes with life skill training programs and mentorship from Brazilian basketball icon and Olympic medalist Hortência Marcari and Clodoaldo Silva, one of the most respected Paralympic medalists of all time.
Nissan’s Brazil Legacy
· Through the Nissan Institute, the company supports the Miratus Association, a nonprofit promoting social development through education and sport (focusing on badminton) for the youth of the Chacrinha community in Rio de Janeiro. Miratus was founded by Sebastião Dias de Oliveira, father of Ygor Coelho, a Team Nissan athlete, who became the first Brazilian to compete in badminton at the Olympic Games. The pair star in an inspiring documentary titled “Bad and the Birdieman.”
· The company is supporting a major urban and social transformation in Caju, an underserved area in Rio de Janeiro. A partnership between Nissan Brazil and Gol de Letra Foundation, the program will transform Gol de Letra, a social and educational Association presided by the International Brazilian football player Raí Oliveira, that provides mentoring and learning opportunities to more than 800 children and adults through “The Caju: A New Look.”
· Inspired by the female athletes competing in Rio and in support of women everywhere, Nissan will build off its #WhoDares campaign and has launched #SheDares both on site and across its channels.
Update & Results:
29/03/2017
Nissan Hails Huge Rio 2016 Olympic Sponsorship Success
From an increase in Brazilian market share, to the successful launch of its new Kicks crossover vehicle, to robust consumer brand engagement, Nissan today declared its Rio 2016 Olympic sponsorship an unqualified success.
Nissan undertook its sponsorship of the Olympic and Paralympic Games with the stated goals of increasing awareness of its brand in Brazil and Latin America; supporting the global launch of a new vehicle in Brazil – a first for the company; and leaving a lasting legacy in the host nation.
With that as the backdrop, below are some of the results and highlights from Nissan’s sponsorship during the first two weeks of the Games:
· A full percentage point increase in Nissan’s Brazil market share since the start of the Games to 3.5%
· 2.4 billion impressions on Twitter for Nissan Olympic specific hashtags (source: Sysomos)
· Nissan ranks No. 1 in impressions in the automotive category across branded social platforms during the Olympics (Source: Origami Logic)
· Nissan’s #QuemSeAtreve hashtag (#WhoDares in English) has become the third best performing brand hashtag, behind only two of Coca Cola’s and ahead of all other global sponsors. The result is even more impressive given Nissan is a local Brazil sponsor (Source: Adweek)
· #Nissan ranks No. 4 among all companies associated with the Games (Source: Adweek)
· More than 2,000 registrations and down payments for Nissan Kicks, launched in Brazil at the start of the Torch Relay, through an online registration system never before used in Brazil
· Nearly 9 million views of Nissan’s Bolt vs Flame campaign launched in the lead-up to the Games
· Nissan’s Olympic initiatives have generated more than 4,000 articles globally, generating more than 15 billion media impressions (Source: Meltwater)
To-date, Team Nissan athletes have been awarded 24 medals at the Rio 2016 Games, with the countries Nissan sponsors winning 91 medals. Nissan supports the Brazilian, British, Mexican, Colombian and Greek Olympic Teams, as well as 51 sponsored athletes – including Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, and athletes from Brazil and Great Britain – across the Olympics and Paralympics.
‘Our achievement in raising awareness for Nissan in Brazil and driving sales of Kicks validates our decision to sponsor the Rio Games, and will provide a lasting effect on the marketplace,’ said François Dossa, President of Nissan Brazil.
‘We are thrilled with the impact our sponsorship has had throughout Latin America and on fans around the globe. This has been a big win for Nissan and we are excited to continue to build on this momentum in the region.’
Nissan has also seen success through its multiple on-the-ground experiences in Brazil.
· More than 8,000 people have experienced Nissan’s Olympic Park Live Site activation
· The Nissan bungee jump at Olympic Boulevard was at maximum capacity with more than 1,000 people participating in the jumps and crowds flocking to the site to watch
· Celebrating Brazilian culture, the rooftop parties at the Nissan Kicks Hotel have attracted more than 1,500 guests
· Nissan has hosted 1,100 guests from a total of 20 countries at the Games
Links:
Nissan Brazil YouTube:
Nissan Brazil Facebook:
Nissan Brazil Web:
Nissan YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/nissanoficial
Nissan Twitter:
https://twitter.com/nissan_oficial
Nissan Google+:
https://plus.google.com/u/1/112623647889335265520/posts
Rio 2016 Web:
Usain Bolt Twitter:
Tweets by usainbolt
@usainbolt
Usain Bolt Web:
