The Brief

After a 15 year hiatus, Nissan were set to re-launch the all-new Patrol in Australia. This new model had been refined beyond belief, from capability to luxurious appointments. The challenge we faced was that the Nissan Patrol comes with a fiercely loyal following, accompanied by a tough-as-guts reputation and heritage. As such, we needed to convince Patrol loyalist of the vehicles capabilities, while at the same time, showcasing to a new audience, just how luxuriously refined the vehicle had become. We needed to demonstrate to some and prove to others that rugged and refined could go hand in hand.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We figured: the most rugged and refined 4x4 ever, needed a track to match. So we took the soundwave from one of the most refined musical compositions in history, Beethoven’s Ninth. From that we created a 5 story high, 4x4 track, half the length of a football field, complete with rock obstacles, water crossings and almost impossible inclines and descents. The peaks and troughs of the song became the peaks and troughs of our track. The desired outcome was shared content and excitement amongst 4X4 communities and Patrol enthusiasts, leading to high conversion rates to book test drives.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Within in just one week we saw a 50% increase in Google searches for 'Nissan Patrol' — making it the most searched for model in Nissan’s range. 31.31% of viewers were converted from the entertainment video through to product-focused content, with more information on the new Patrol. Over 3.8M Australian impressions delivered. 4.5% of viewers clicked through to nissan.com.au to find a dealer and book test drives — making the highest 'click through rate' in Nissan Australia's history.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

The track based on Beethoven’s ninth symphony was the ultimate product demonstration for the new Nissan Patrol. Australia’s leading 4X4 expert, described it as the hardest track he had ever driven. And the link to Beethoven acknowledged the refinement and style of the new Patrol in a humours and clever way — very much in keeping with the Nissan brand in Australia. The promotion and activation, such as the competition allowing 4X4 enthusiasts to win a drive over the track, the viral videos of both the event and features of the car, provided sharable content and information about the new Patrol.