Nissan Motor Flies With 'heroes'

The Nissan Motor Co. is not backing away from NBC’s ‘Heroes.’ The third largest Japanese automaker will give the superhero show marketing muscle. The company’s North American division earlier entered into a 360 marketing program deal with the Peacock to promote the second season of the superhero show.

Promotional partnerships with brands are expected to happen. The deal will have the Japanese automaker spending marketing dollars around the series through on-air and online sponsorships and traditional ads, wireless applications, as well as a "Heroes" musicvid and the season-one DVD release. It will also cover product integration, off-channel platforms, wireless applications, traditional television advertising and significant on-air and online sponsorships.

"Nissan is constantly searching for opportunities to build extensive advertising partnerships that allow us to engage consumers by building brand awareness on many platforms," said Steve Kerho, the director of interactive media for Nissan North America. "This ongoing partnership with NBC also gives us the opportunity to introduce the all-new Nissan Rogue, a new CUV that epitomizes the exciting and adventurous spirit that defines 'Heroes.'"

"We're committed to doing business with our clients in ways that extend beyond the 30-second spot and are thrilled to join forces again with Nissan to build on our successful season-one partnership," said Mike Pilot, the president, NBC Universal Ad Sales. "This deal exemplifies the concept of having an 'upstream relationship' with our clients and shows just what can be achieved when the clients and creative teams come together early in the process."

First season had characters driving and talking about the Versa small car, which appeared in multiple episodes. The Nissan Armada SUV and the Altima sedan also appeared in the show. The automaker will use the second season to hype its new crossover, the Rogue, which rolls out in dealerships in September, and times well with the fall's new TV programming.

The campaign will kick off on the night of the "Heroes" season premiere, which will be exclusively sponsored by Nissan and broadcast with limited commercial interruption. To add connectivity to the viewers, the Rogue will be integrated into the premiere episode and will be driven by the main character. The automaker will take advantage of each opportunity to connect the viewers to its new crossover.

The Japanese automaker also will roadblock the full episode of "Heroes" on NBC Rewind for 24 hours after the show's on-air premiere. It will mark the first time an advertiser has utilized the said type of program on NBC Rewind. Aside from the more conventional advertising opportunities both on-air and online, the Rogue campaign also includes the sponsorship of numerous unique off channel platforms including a "Heroes" music video and the season one DVD release. In addition, the Rogue will also be involved in NBC's wireless platforms and will sponsor the Heroes 360 WAP sites.

In this exceptional deal, Nissan will use "Heroes" as the fundamental hub of a multi-pronged marketing campaign for the launch of its new crossover vehicle, the Rogue. The Rogue, called the Dualis in Japan and the CCUV in China, uses the P32L platform which will be shared with upcoming crossover SUVs.

The top half of the Rogue is given that sleek dynamic form with a prominent shoulder line that rises at the rear. The lower portion of the crossover features pronounced wheel arches and higher ground clearance. The Rogue is equipped with reliable auto parts like enhanced Nissan oil filters, radiator, suspension, brakes and more. Additionally, the crossover is given four engine choices: a 115 hp 1.6 L and a 140 hp 2.0 L gasoline engines and a 106 hp 1.5 L and a 150 hp 2.0 L diesel engines.