Nissan Launches New 2012 Versa Sedan With Multi-Platform "Most _____ Per Dollar" Marketing Campaign

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of the roomy, all-new 2012 Nissan Sedan, which is on sale now at Nissan dealers nationwide, Nissan today revealed a fully integrated, multi-platform "Most _____ per dollar" marketing campaign.  Celebrating the most legroom and headroom of any compact car available in North America, the campaign creative approach places a central focus on Versa Sedan's expansive interior – telling the story through vibrant, playful imagery and video footage of big hair, crossed legs and friends comfortably piling into the stylish new 5-passenger compact sedan.  The campaign kicks off August 29, 2011.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080506/NISSANBADGELOGO )

"The all-new Versa Sedan gives us a lot to work with, literally, with the most space, legroom, headroom, trunk room and technology per dollar than any car in America – and that includes more rear seat legroom than even the Lexus LS460, BMW 5-series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class," said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Marketing, Nissan North America, Inc.  "Versa Sedan also has the lowest starting M.S.R.P. in America at just $10,990 and a long list of innovative features, such as dual injector engine technology – messages that we'll drive home in equally innovative ways."

Bringing "Most _____ Per Dollar" To Life

As expected of an innovative company with advanced models like the Nissan LEAF and Nissan GT-R, the all-new Versa Sedan's marketing utilizes innovations of its own.  The centerpiece of the campaign is a new "First Person" digital experience designed to bring the best-in-class roominess to life.  Providing an immersive experience using iPad® 2 gyro technology, viewers are placed in the car.  From the perspective of the driver or a passenger, rich panoramic views offer visibility from every angle, while vibrant imagery tells the narrative.

"Unlike other automakers that have built mobile applications constrained by platform and device limitations, Nissan is one of the first to deliver an immersive, browser-based experience leveraging the gyroscope technology," added Brancheau.  "Though optimized for iPad® and iPhone®, it can live anywhere from desktops to tablets and even Internet TV.  Rather than just talking about best-in-class interior space, digital proves it."

The "First Person" spots were directed by acclaimed music video director Olivier Gondry.

Facebook Road Trip

The new campaign also includes a number of interactive social promotions, including an innovative way to take fans on the road with the new Versa Sedan.  With its numerous "Most _____ per dollar" features, the new Versa Sedan is also a facilitator of great experiences.

"Our target Versa buyers, in their mid-to-late '20s, are in unique places in their lives and careers – which are sometimes tumultuous as they settle into first real jobs," said Brancheau.  "Their financial priorities and new time commitments make being with old friends who have dispersed to other cities a strictly online endeavor.  The 'Versa Road Trips' campaign gives them a chance to get reconnected in person and relive old times, bringing the online offline."

Beginning in mid-September via Nissan's Facebook Connect enabled website, myversaroadtrip.com, users can create their own road trips by selecting their routes and inviting their Facebook friends to come along.  They can then submit their trip, tell Nissan why their online journey should be made into a real one and share it with their social networks.

Five winners will be selected to receive a 2012 Versa Sedan and take the road trip they submitted with their friends.  Along the journey, the winners will submit updates, tweets, images and other content from the road so users can follow them on the website.

For additional content, all five Versas will be outfitted with stop-motion cameras inside and out.  When the trips conclude, the footage will be used to create mini road-trip movies to be shared in an online film festival.  The community will judge the films, giving them a chance to win prizes as well.

An Immersive New iAd

As the first one of its kind, the campaign's fully immersive new Versa iAd is the next best thing to being inside the car.  Utilizing the iPhone®'s gyro technology, users are taken on a 360° experience inside Versa's all-new interior.  Then outside on a street scene, three Versas show off the new exterior design as the colorful scenery spins around the user.

Shot along with all other campaign components, the iAd is filled with the same bold and vibrant characters from the TV spots.  They bring the car to life in unique and playful ways – hats swap out, shoes change and phone messages play – as the user intuitively controls where they go next.

A Unique Music Track

To play off of the vibrant tone of the new "Most _____ per dollar" campaign, Nissan is featuring music from one of the hottest new bands, Foster the People.  The band's yet-to-be-released track "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" provides the energy and youthfulness that complements the tonality and personality of the Versa campaign.

Foster the People has received critical acclaim and is nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for "Best New Artist."  Nissan will be providing the new song as streaming content on its social media platforms following the awards show.  Versa fans will have the opportunity to download the track, free of charge, on the upcoming Versa iAd and NissanUSA.com website.

Other Platforms

The Versa "Most _____ per dollar" campaign will also be featured across other platforms, including broadcast TV, radio, multicultural, print, out-of-home, web, interactive, YouTube and direct.  A print partnership with Time, Inc. includes featured spots in Money, Sports Illustrated, People, Time and Entertainment Weekly.

The campaign was created in conjunction with TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, which developed elements including TV, out-of-home, radio, digital banners, print, iAd, social and music programs. Critical Mass, Calgary, was responsible for the web, mobile and tablet extensions, and OMD handled the media buy.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, design, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing.  Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010 and has been recognized as a 2010 and 2011 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  More information about Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.Infiniti.com.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010.

With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands.  A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to Sustainable Mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

SOURCE Nissan North America