Nissan Heisman House debuts new playoff-themed spots

03 Nov 2015, 08:19 AM EST

2014 Heisman Trophy Winner Marcus Mariota stars alongside The Duck

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–This week, coinciding with release of the first rankings for this
season’s College Football Playoff (CFP), Nissan debuts three new TV
spots that will air on New Year’s Eve, on ESPN, during the CFP Semifinal
games.

The vignettes feature an impressive line-up of Heisman trophy winners
including football greats such as Marcus Mariota, Robert Griffin III,
Herschel Walker, Steve Spurrier, George Rogers and Tony Dorsett, with a
special appearance by the University of Oregon mascot, The Duck.

The spots show the players gathering together in the house for a New
Year’s Eve viewing party, dressed for the occasion in tuxedos. In one
vignette, University of Florida Heisman winner Steve Spurrier and
University of South Carolina winner George Rogers get some grief from
the guys for their loose interpretation of the party dress code.

In conjunction with the kick-off of the 2015 college football season,
ESPN and Nissan brought back The
Nissan Heisman House in September to give fans a glimpse of what
it might be like if the winners of football’s highest individual honor –
the Heisman Trophy – lived together under one roof. The integrated
campaign featured TV spots, print, radio, digital and a series of social
videos timed to align with key games. Fan engagement with the campaign
is at an unprecedented high, with vignette video views at 15.9 million,
social video views at 2.2 million and Heisman House Tour visits at
110,000.

“Nissan is proud to continue our strong partnership with the Heisman
Trust and the ESPN College Football Playoff to create unforgettable
content for college football fans,” said Jeremy Tucker, vice president,
Nissan Marketing Communications and Media, Nissan North America. “By
once again showcasing Nissan front and center during what is sure to be
another record setting viewership event for cable television, the
College Football Playoff semifinals and national championship, we are
helping to again deliver strong growth for Nissan.”

The Nissan Heisman House campaign supports Nissan’s long-standing
sponsorship of the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award and the Heisman Trophy
Trust, a charitable organization focused on outreach to the
underprivileged and underserved.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling,
engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing,
distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the
environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized
annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR®
Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North
America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be
found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com,
or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and
InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is
headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan
Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan
sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen
(USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive
range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun
brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by
sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is
the best-selling EV in history. For more information on our products,
services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment company, features more
than 50 assets – seven U.S. television networks, ESPN International,
ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, and more. ESPN is 80 percent
owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company)
and 20 percent by The Hearst Corporation.

About the Heisman Trophy Trust

The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college
football player in the United States. Winners epitomize great ability
combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy
Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award. The Trust,
furthermore, has a charitable mission to support amateur athletes and to
provide greater opportunities to the youth of our country. Our goal
through these charitable endeavors is for The Heisman Trophy to
symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and
service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or afflicted.

Contacts

Nissan North America
Jeannie Whited, 615-725-6461
Jeannie.whited@nissan-usa.com
or
ESPN
Ana
Livia Coelho, 646-547-5778
AnaLivia.C.Coelho@ESPN.com
or
The
Heisman Memorial Trophy
Tim Henning, 212-425-7000
Tim@Heisman.com