Of all the product types that you could associate with the Star Wars universe, cars must be one of the worst ideas, and there's a simple explanation for that: they'd be going against space ships.
When you want to highlight the technical advancements of your vehicle, you don't show it driving on its prehistoric four wheels while TIE fighters fly around firing their blasters. OK, so it manages to escape the barrage, but, let's face it, nobody's eyes are going to be glued to the red SUV when there's a plethora of Star Wars AT-STs and AT-ATs around.
However, the second the name of the first stand-alone Star Wars movie was announced - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Nissan could not have passed on the opportunity to associate its SUV to the famous franchise. How it did it, though, that is a completely different story.
All we have right now is just one 30-second spot, and if Jeremy Tucker, vice president, Marketing Communications & Media, Nissan North America is to be believed, TV is going to be just one of many other channels that this campaign is going to use. Going by the name "Battle Tested," it launches October 31 and you can view the shorter clip down below (a 60-second one will be available in movie theaters).
The commercial shows the SUV at a fictional Nissan facility as it begins a holographic test session. Instead of the normal obstacles you'd expect, however, this particular session throws the Rogue in the midst of a Star Wars battle with the iconic colored blasters flying everywhere.
"Showcasing Nissan's advanced driver assistance systems in a simulated Star Wars environment, raises awareness for the robust technology offering on the newly refreshed Nissan Rogue in a very different way," added Tucker. "The message pairs Nissan's brand-DNA of driving excitement with relevant product information about how our vehicles are engineered to help our customers safely take on whatever out-of-this-world obstacles that they may encounter."
As the Rogue stops for a robot crossing the street, the tag line is delivered: "Take on any galaxy with a car that can stop for you." Excuse me, what? That does not make any sense. Sorry, Nissan, but you really screwed this up. You had a great opportunity which you could have been exploited a lot better, but you focused too much on the product and too little on making a smart connection between it and the Star Wars universe. Still, having your name on the silver screen just before the movie is projected is probably enough. Oh, and you get a full-sized-replica Death Trooper helmet with the purchase of any 2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition vehicle.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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