Nissan: BOLT × GT-R JAPAN EVENT

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: NISSAN
Agency: TBWA\HAKUHODO
Category: Best Sponsorship or Partnership Campaigns
Advertising campaign: BOLT × GT-R JAPAN EVENT
Managing Director: Chris Iki (Nissan United )
Senior Copywriter: Daniel Sanders (Nissan United )
Executive Creative Director: Darren Delichte (Critical Mass )
Account Executive: Eriko Matsumoto (TBWA\Hakuhodo)
Senior Account Director: Lisa Frazier (Critical Mass )
Executive Global Creative Director: Mark Sheldrake (Nissan United )
Producer: Miki Kuretani (TBWA\Hakuhodo )
Account Supervisor: Shingo Asami (TBWA\Hakuhodo)
Acount Director: Tatsuki Nunomura (TBWA\Hakuhodo)
Senior Art Director: Travis Swingler (Nissan United )
Account Manager: Yohei Koyama (TBWA\Hakuhodo)
Management Supervisor: Hope Bubnar (Nissan United )
Account Supervisor: Yusuke Shigeno (TBWA\Hakuhodo)
Account Supervisor: Koji Miyamoto (TBWA\Hakuhodo)
Account Director: Mineo Mori (TBWA\Hakuhodo)
Acount Director: Motoko Nakao (TBWA\Hakuhodo)

Relevancy
Execution was central because the platform through which Bolt’s passion for the GT-R would need to be best captured and articulated to the correct audience. This included appointing Bolt with the official title “Director of Excitement,” making him not only an employee of Nissan but an ambassador for the GT-R and larger Nissan brand. Throughout the campaign, Bolt’s passion for the GT-R and excitement was captured in a candid manner during ceremonies, test drives and various charity-based initiatives and served to effectively communicate Nissan’s “Innovation that Excites”

Client Brief Or Objective
Nissan needed a way to take the dream partnership between the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, and his GT-R, the world’s fastest production car and share this story with the world. In the process, Nissan would need to find an innovative platform for Bolt to share his excitement for the GT-R and become the ultimate GT-R evangelist.

Implementation
Nissan brought Bolt to Japan for a whirlwind tour of Tokyo, Nissan style.First, giving him the opportunity to learn more about the GT-R and its performance on Nissan’s test track.From there, a huge signing ceremony was held at the Nissan headquarters, where Bolt officially given the title, “Director of Excitement”. With a one-of-a-kind gold GT-R was also created in his honor.Also announced that this car would be part of an auction to support of his charity, the Usain Bolt Foundation.Generate significant PR-worthy content and earned media that would propel the Nissan brand and GT-R forward.

Outcome
·Created news and experience, not advertising·More than 650+Nissan employees , 7,553+consumer attendees/fans showed up to the event.·Live event streamed resulting in 98 million+digital online impressions across Nissan digital properties including Facebook and Twitter·Auction generate 100’s of bids for the gold GT-R which sold for $187,100 and was noted by eBay to be the 3rd largest auction bid in their history·Bolt’s arrival and event were featured in sports newspapers and picked up by various newscasts·Event generated ¥512 million in media exposure(earned media)·Resulted in an overall 570% return on investment(ROI)