2016 Winners & Shortlists

Creative Execution

We provided each of the Instagrammers with a 2015 X-Trail before it was publicly available and sent them on road trip to a secret location. They competed against one another by sharing their experience with their followers. Every time our Instagrammers received a strategically chosen “word” (adventure, X-Trail, wow, exciting, road trip) in their comments, they earned points. The more interaction from followers, the more points received. Essentially, all they had to do was keep doing what they do best – share awesome photos along the way, allowing us to connect with our audience in and engaging and authentic way.

In just six hours (and without any paid support), #TheOneToFollow campaign reached 1.8 million people, and generated 25,000 social media interactions. Nissan’s Instagram handle saw a 32% organic increase in followers. Most exciting was that the campaign generated thousands of comments (19,000 overall) in which followers exclaimed brand advocacy by utilizing our carefully selected trigger words. Ultimately, we successfully positioned Nissan as a brand that is “innovative and exciting”, and drove positive sentiment about the X-Trail. We targeted consumers in the top-half of the purchase funnel (“Awareness”, “Opinion”, “Consideration”) and quickly moved them down the funnel, towards positive “Preference.”

With hundreds of car launches each year, companies are expected now more than ever to impress audiences with extravagant debuts. But what does launching a car from a helicopter in front of the city skyline really tell you about the model itself? Not a lot! That’s why, with the launch of the 2015 Nissan X-Trail, we wanted to create a launch experience that triggered excitement and positioned the X-Trail as a best-in-class vehicle, living up its brand promise – “Innovation that Excites.” We knew we wanted to connect with our young, hip audience where they already spend their time – Instagram. So we turned Instagram into a gaming platform for the first time ever. Through in-depth research, we identified six of the most influential Instagrammers in the UAE. But these people didn't only have high reach; they embodied all the X-Trail stands for – cutting edge, connected, confident, adventurous and bold.