Nissan is using AI tech and content creators to help boost awareness of its EV lineup.

In the hero spot for the automaker’s “Electrify Your Life” campaign, queer influencer Cheyenne Catchpole, chef Laurent Dagenais and lifestyle YouTuber Karl Conrad were offered a surprise test drive of the Nissan Ariya, where they got to meet AI versions of themselves in a studio.

Bill Chamness, VP of strategy for agency partner Juniper Park\TBWA, says the spot aims to answer specific questions that EV shoppers have about a growing number of vehicle options. “This new reality makes it hard for buyers to get all the answers they need,” Chamness says. “That led us to ask, ‘What if we created an AI avatar that could help them shop?’ And the idea took off from there.”

Alannah David-Clark, senior marketing manager of Nissan Canada, adds that the custom avatars “offered a personalized discovery of the Nissan Ariya tailored to each creator’s lifestyle,” with each avatar crafted using insights into the creator’s unique hobbies and interests.

Working with Rodeo FX and motion capture artists, the creative process involved AI voice cloning, VFX and animation. The campaign is launching on TV, OLV, digital, social, and OOH, with OMD behind the media buy. TamTam\TBWA provided French adaptation for the Juniper Park\TBWA-created work. In July, Nissan Canada named Veritas its comms agency of record.