Nissan is showing how its thrill-seeking mentality fits in with the everyday lives of Canadians with the launch of a new campaign under its “Thrillology” platform.
The platform launched last year with the “Institute of Thrillology,” a campaign that emphasized Nissan’s innovations in performance, technology and safety in a futuristic laboratory.
With “Operation Thrill,” the automaker is quite literally taking that message to the streets, showing how its vehicle features can play a role in the everyday driving experience of ordinary Canadians – in this case, a daughter and her father as she learns how to parallel park for the first time.
The campaign is based on internal research by Nissan and its creative partners, Juniper Park\TBWA, which “uncovered a truth about Nissan’s unique ability to make everyday moments more exciting,” Bill Chamness, VP of strategy for the agency, tells strategy.
“We don’t overpromise or take you to faraway places,” he adds. “We’re hyperfocused on helping you make everyday moments more thrilling.”
Hence the very relatable messaging around a driver’s first experience with parallel parking – oft regarded as one of the bigger challenges for new drivers – and the showcase of Nissan’s Around View Monitor technology, which makes it that much easier.
It’s “a wonderful departure” from conventional car advertising, which is often heavily focused on performance, according to Neil Walker-Wells, executive creative director at the agency.
“By hyperbolizing the everyday adventures and moments you can have thanks to Nissan technology, we’ve created a memorable world for the viewer to engage with,” he adds. “It’s entertainment and enjoyment that delivers a strong brand message.”
The automaker decided to follow up on the “Institute of Thrillology” because it “vastly exceeded all expectations across core KPIs,” which include awareness, consideration, leads and sales, Chamness adds. It also worked well across all touchpoints for the automaker, from social and digital to car shows and inside dealerships.
The new campaign launched on Canada Day and is running on TV, cinema, digital, social, CRM and in dealerships through the next 12 months. OMD is Nissan Canada’s media agency.
