ABOUT

During an incredibly noisy time, we bravely set out to subvert what consumers expected from an Olympics sponsor by having a little self-deprecating fun.

The Rio Games presented the perfect opportunity for Nissan to prompt a positive re-evaluation of their brand by connecting their partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB, to the British public’s passion for the Olympics.

We knew that our target audience loved to get closer to the athletes, so we needed to connect Nissan and the sponsorship to them in an unexpected and memorable way.

So using hidden cameras and two actors who posed as members of Nissan’s Global Sponsorship Team, we pranked Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes, telling them that ‘Nissan stakeholders’ wanted to get better value from their sponsorship during the Games. We asked them, very seriously, to put a ‘bit more Nissan’ into their event. This invloved asking the athletes to perform ridiculous requests, like steering an imaginary car around the final bend as they approach the finish line, or simply shout NISSAN at the top of their lungs whilst throwing a javelin.

- Positive Brand Opinion (of those aware of sponsorship) – increased 5% points post campaign (17% points above target)

- Purchase Consideration (of those aware of sponsorship) – increased 10% points post campaign (10% points above target)

- Spontaneous Partnership Awareness – increased by 7% points post campaign

- Prompted Partnership Awareness – increased by 17% points post campaign (7% points above target)