2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

NISSAN COSMIC KEY

BrandARABIAN AUTOMOBILES COMPANY (AAC)
Product/ServiceNISSAN X-TERRA
EntrantTBWA\RAAD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CategoryDurable Consumer Goods including Automotive
Idea Creation TBWA\RAAD Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Launching a new car during a Pandemic is tough, we needed to create a memorable and tangible experience for our customers, in a time where physical touch was limited, if not impossible. Inspired by our outer-space themed launch film, we created limited edition Nissan key chains made with actual meteorites from outer space, fashioned by talented jewelry designers from the region, so our customers got to own an actual piece of outer space. This reinforced the advanced design and technology credentials of the X-Terra and gave our customers a chance to tangibly experience something ‘out of this world’.

Background

In December 2020 with the Pandemic raging, Nissan launched the New X-Terra, a class leading SUV with ‘technology meets innovation’ positioning. But with most people concerned about rising virus numbers, we needed a big idea for our audience to take notice. We had created a film, set on Mars, where the X-Terra was the hero, being driven by a young family. This reinforced the out-of-the-ordinary positioning of the X-Terra - a car that was literally out of this world. Nevertheless, we were not content at stopping with a film, and we wanted to bring to life the ‘technology meets innovation’ positioning in a memorable way and demonstrate how truly ‘out of this world’ the X-Terra was. In a time of doom and gloom, we wanted to offer our customers a unique experience and make them feel special by owning an X-Terra.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

HOW DO WE ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF AN AUDIENCE DURING A PANDEMIC? We needed an extra-ordinary idea so we developed the X-Terra COSMIC KEY, the first ever key crafted from a meteorite. Everyday, hundreds of meteorites fall to earth. As they enter earth’s atmosphere, the force alters their atomic structure, giving it unique alloy properties. We chose these meteorites, and fashioned them into key chains. Through a unique process, a local jeweler designed 25 limited edition key chains that were distributed to the first buyers of the Nissan X-Terra. The fully functioning key chains were sleek and modern just like the X-Terra. To scale the idea, the production process was filmed and shared on social media as a “making of” video to be experienced by a wider audience. An out-of-this-world key chain, for an out-of-this-world car, during extra-ordinary circumstances.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Our broad audience is families with kids, but essentially we were speaking to cool, fun loving father’s who want to share exciting adventures and ideas with their kids. 2020 had been a chaotic and stressful year - parents adjusted to ‘the new normal’ and kids adjusted to online learning. Vacations and activities were cancelled so the opportunities for adventure and unique experiences were limited. We wanted to bring back the spark of adventure, we wanted our cool dad’s to experience extra-ordinary with their kids. We needed an idea that would be a talking point for the family and their friends - turning them into our brand ambassadors. Additionally, the X-Terra launch film had already positioned the vehicle as an out-of this world car, so we focussed on bringing this to life in a tangible way to demonstrate our commitment to being extra-ordinary in every aspect.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

We wanted to scale this idea beyond the physical key chains and enable a wider audience to experience the idea. The journey began with a behind-the-scenes film where an astronomer took us through the uniqueness of the meteorites and the arduousness of sourcing them, and we filmed the jewelry designer in action - cleaning, cutting, melting, shaping and styling. We also shot a short promotional style film of the entire production process and designed social content to reach a wider audience across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. We had showroom advertising to communicate that all new buyers will enter a draw to win the meteorite key chain.

List the results (30% of vote)

25 limited edition keys 82% increase in test drives 3% new leads conversion

Credits

Name Company Role
Walid Kanaan TBWA\RAAD CCO
Bruno Bomediano TBWA\RAAD ECD
Alex Pineda TBWA\RAAD Copywriter / Creative Director
Augusto Correia TBWA\RAAD Associate Creative Director
Santiago Ramirez TBWA\RAAD Cameraman
Joe Lahham TBWA\RAAD GM
Richard Rao TBWA\RAAD Client Servicing
Joseph Safi TBWA\RAAD Motion Designer
Brenda Kassir TBWA\RAAD Strategy
Romy Abdelnour TBWA\RAAD Corporate Communications
Rouba Asmar TBWA\RAAD Production
Mona Melhem TBWA\RAAD Production
Sathish Chellen Designs by PS & Co. Production