Nissan 'Ride of Your Life' campaign turns an Altima into a race car [w/video]

Thu, 08 May 2014

Nissan definitely makes some exciting vehicles. The GT-R has received continuous improvements to keep it at the head of the pack in the performance car world. And the Leaf might not bring driving intensity, but its technology is quite impressive. However, there is nothing especially thrilling about the Altima. Granted, it races in the Australian V8 Supercars series, but that car really only shares its basic shape with the production version. So it may see surprising that the Japanese automaker is hoping to inject some drama into its midsize sedan with its new Ride of Your Life ad campaign.

The project is pretty clever. Nissan invited several people to the Horse Thief Mile circuit at Willow Springs Raceway for a ride in an Altima racecar. After a few laps with a professional driver around the course, they pulled into the pits, and the passengers got a big surprise. We won't spoil what happens for you. You can check it out in the video below.

The concept is somewhat similar to Toyota's thrill ride ads for the Camry last year. Both promotions try to show that that these four-door, family sedans can be more than just boring transportation. Nissan's commercials will begin airing on TV soon. The automaker hopes to excite potential Altima buyers ahead of its upcoming national sales event. Scroll down to watch the video to find out the big secret and read the full release about the campaign.

Nissan's new marketing campaign offers "Ride of Your Life"

– Interactive campaign, designed to raise excitement leading into Nissan's model year-end sales event, highlights the top-selling 2014 Altima and its powerful performance features –

LOS ANGELES – One participant described the experience as: "This is crazy." Another was left speechless, while a third said: "I would never imagine a four-door car could do this." All three were part of a new Nissan marketing campaign titled "Ride of Your Life" that highlights the 2014 Nissan Altima, one of the top-selling cars in the U.S. The campaign was created to drive traffic to ChooseNissan.com and create excitement leading into Nissan's model year-end national sales event.

"The 'Ride of Your Life' campaign shows off the performance DNA that lives inside every Nissan and will help engage consumers nationwide, creating positive, lively conversation online and in person as we enter upon our year-end sales event," said Jon Brancheau, vice president, marketing communications and media, Nissan North America, Inc. "With a blend of performance, technology, superior fuel economy and more, Nissan vehicles are intended to give drivers the ride of their lives."

In a TV spot slated to launch next week, Nissan intends to deliver a powerful message that the Altima is undoubtedly the most exciting sedan on the road. Led by director Brent Jones of Humble, production designer Page Buckner (Transformers, Spiderman, Iron Man 2) and event managers from Match Action, participants (real people, not paid actors) were selected to receive rides around the Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs Raceway in what was marketed as "Nissan's most advanced Altima racecar."

The catch? The vehicle was actually a standard Altima dressed as a racecar. When the vehicle – which looked, sounded, smelled, felt and performed like a racecar – was stripped of its dressing following the ride, participants were shocked, left only to look at each other in disbelief. They couldn't believe a sedan could feature such dynamic and inspiring performance.

"There's no better way to market our cars than by highlighting the incredible performance that pulsates within the Altima each and every time it is driven," added Brancheau.

Creating Buzz in L.A.
To ignite conversation, one of the "racecar" Altimas will be driven around Los Angeles prior to the ad's launch. Signage on the vehicle will invite people to find out what's going on via the hashtag #NissanROYL. Once the hashtag is posted via Twitter or other social media outlets, people will be encouraged to view the promotional video footage derived from the TV spot, thus continuing the conversation.

In addition to daily Twitter interaction on the Altima Twitter pages, Nissan will invite customers to share creative expressions via Snapchat of what driving a Nissan feels like to them. The best Snapchat responses will then be entered for the opportunity to win prizes such as a PlayStation 4.

About the 2014 Altima
The 2014 Nissan Altima, the centerpiece of the Nissan lineup and one of the top-selling cars in the U.S., offers a premium exterior and interior and driver-focused technology. Its many attributes include outstanding fuel economy of 38 mpg highway (2.5-liter engine only) and an outstanding balance of ride comfort, handling and a fun-to-drive demeanor. Altima is offered in seven well-equipped models to meet a range of needs and budgets – and with a choice of a 182-horsepower 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine or 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. Both engines are matched with a smooth, efficient Xtronic transmission.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

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

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By Chris Bruce