Our partnership with Nissan allowed us the opportunity to help them in many ways, such as migrating from the old global brand positioning of “Delivering driving enjoyment and pleasure” (communicated via the slogan “Life is a journey, enjoy the ride”), to the new brand positioning “Bold and thoughtful”. To manage this transition in a scientific way, we conducted a series of research exercises to determine the comprehension and relevance of “Bold and thoughtful” amongst car buyers in the GCC. We also checked how this could apply to the various Nissan models.
Based on our in-depth understanding of what the individual models stood for, we worked on constructing a new brand pyramid for the Patrol that was inspired by its larger engine, Tiptronic transmission, electrical steering control, security, and ability to conquer any terrain. This presented the Patrol as the “King of the desert”.
Sadly, another year passed, and the Patrol did not witness any major changes. Our qualitative research amongst 4×4 owners had revealed that these drivers were restless and were constantly searching for more challenging dunes to conquer, stronger engines and more comfort while they drove. This signaled the risk that more car buyers would opt for the Toyota Land Cruiser if they gave up waiting for a new Nissan Patrol.
Inspired by TBWA’s disruptive attitude, we convinced Nissan Middle East to embark on a major promotional stunt that would replace the classic media bursts that usually accompanied the beginning of the new car season. We asked each of the GCC dealers to nominate 10 loyal Patrol owners who had owned Nissan Patrols for many years. We then invited 80 loyal Patrol owners – 10 each from Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman – on an all-expenses paid trip to the newly opened Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai. There they would participate in the “King of the desert journey”, which we had hired a video crew to film.
On the first night, we served them a seafood barbecue by the beach and encouraged them to retire to their rooms early, as there was an early pick-up the next morning. The next day, a fleet of 20 Nissan Patrols was parked at the entrance of the hotel. After breakfast, the impressive convoy drove towards Sharjah, where the vehicles went off-road and into the sand dunes, with guests taking turns behind the steering wheel. This was a long drive that included a rest, refreshments, and souvenir photoshoot under the famous Fossil Rock. Then a competition was held to see who could score the best time conquering the dune known as Big Red, before heading to Al Maha Desert Resort where the guests checked into their reserved suites.
The entire group gathered that evening for a barbecue dinner around a campfire, which was crowned by a Brazilian belly dancer who dragged most of these serious grown-ups to shake and sway, accompanied by the laughter and cheering of their colleagues. The cameraman was briefed to focus only on the belly dancer and the Nissan Middle East executives and not any of the hotel guests. The next morning, the convoy drove towards the fortress-like Jebel Ali Shooting Club where, one by one, the visitors excitedly shot at moving targets using shotguns provided by the club. The visitors competed and seemed to enjoy the experience like children on their first school outing.
Lunch was served at the Jebel Ali Hotel in time for the visitors to arrive at the neighboring racecourse to watch the first camel race at 2.30pm. The camera didn’t stop rolling for a minute that day, including the scattered departure of the guests, who flew out that same evening, although some stayed on for an additional day of shopping and sightseeing.
Hundreds of VHS videotapes carrying the title “King of the desert journey” were produced and dispatched – one for every participant and sizeable quantities for each of the GCC Nissan dealers. The dealers were encouraged to distribute them amongst their loyal Patrol owners, together with a letter saying that the “King of the desert journey” had been organized for a group of loyal Patrol owners, who very much enjoyed every minute of the journey. The letter concluded with a statement thanking the reader for their loyalty and hoping they would be amongst the participants on next year’s journey.