NASHVILLE – In the world of automotive advertising, Super Bowl Sunday is the one day of the year where pretty much anything goes. Nissan exemplified that strategy in its return to the Super Bowl ad ranks for the first time since 1997, scoring big today with a dramatic 90-second commercial titled ‘With Dad,’ developed in collaboration with TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles. The commercial combined a touching storyline with the debut of future Nissan race and production vehicles.
The story, which follows an up-and-coming race driver through his journey to the highest levels of motorsports competition, uses a narrative soundtrack provided by Harry Chapin’s iconic “Cat’s In the Cradle.” It depicts the struggles of a father and mother to balance work and family while they raise their son. In the end, the cycle, so well known in Chapin’s song, is broken.
“The spot depicts a journey that moms, dads and children face in trying to make family a priority while striving to balance work demands. Like many women and men in America, our dad cherishes the time he spends with his family, but the requirements of his job continually call him away,” said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing and Operations U.S., Nissan North America. “But as we see, both parents share equally in the courage, hard work and sacrifice required to keep the family strong as they raise their son.”
In connection with the “With Dad” commercial Nissan will donate $1 million to help people build a better future for themselves and their families through a contribution in support of Habitat for Humanity and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP).
“Beyond just the work-life balance depicted in the ad, many families all over the country are struggling to find affordable housing or are in need of assistance re-assimilating into family life after military service,” said Diaz. “We’re pleased to be making this donation, along with building awareness and exposure for the organizations’ important causes.”
The ‘With Dad’ spot can also be viewed at www.withdad.com or www.NissanUSA.com. The commercial, which debuted during the second quarter of the game on February 1, will not be shown again on broadcast TV.
As for the images of fast cars shown in the spot – along with the historical Nissan racing footage used as a backdrop – they, too, were out of the ordinary. Shown for the first time anywhere was the new Nissan GT-R LM NISMO, which will contest the LM P1 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the highest category in world sports car racing. The highly innovative front-engined, front-wheel drive vehicle, with its aerodynamic bodywork, is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo gasoline engine and a kinetic energy recovery system. It is a combination expected to produce around 1,250 horsepower under race conditions. Details on the upcoming Nissan sports sedan, which appears briefly in the spot, will be announced in the near future.
“We’ve packed a lot of story and surprises into one beautifully executed commercial,” said Diaz. “After a long absence, it was not only great to be back in the big game, but to be back with such an impactful presence.”
CREDITS:
Client: Nissan North America
Senior VP Sales & Marketing & Operations USA: Fred Diaz
VP Marketing Communications & Media: Jeremy Tucker
Director, Marketing Communications: Erich Marx
Senior Manager, Marketing Communications: Terri Welch
Senior Manager, Media Planning and Strategy: Richard Ash
Creative Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles
Chief Creative Officer: Stephen Butler
Creative Director: Chris Ribeiro
Creative Director: Drew Stalker
Associate Creative Director / Copywriter: Jason Locey
Associate Creative Director / Art Director: Liz Levy
Director of Production: Brian O’Rourke
Senior Producer: Carrie Schaer
Assistant Producer: Alex Dossett
Managing Director: Peter Bracegirdle
Account Director: Bonnie Schwartz, Craig Werwa
Management Supervisors: Patrick Jones, Val Tyll
Group Planning Director: Oke Mueller
Planning Director: Kyle Luhr
Director of Product Information: Joel Weeks
Product Strategy Specialist: Andy Galvin
Director of Business Affairs: Linda Daubson
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Robin Rossi
Director, Traffic Operations: Dessiah Maxwell
Traffic Operations Manager: Malika Jones
Director Project Management: Janet Perez
Media Agency: OMD
Managing Director: Kristi Lind
Group Director Strategy: Jennifer Reece & Aaron Anderson
Producer Integrated Programs: Jocelyn Monroe
Director Strategy: Johnathan Fisher
Associate Director Stategy: Lauren Crotzer
Group Director Digital: Anthony Viccars
Production Company: Park Pictures
Director / Cinematographer: Lance Acord
Executive Producer: Mary Ann Marino, Jackie Kelman Bisbee
Line Producer: Tim Kerrison
Art Department: James Chinlund
Costume Designer: Christine Wada
Casting Director: Dan Bell
Stunt Coordinator: Andy Gill
Set Photographer: Daniel Goldwasser
Editorial: Whitehouse Post
Editor: Russell Icke
Assistant Editor: James Dierx
Senior Producer: Joanna Manning
Executive Producer: Joni Williamson
VFX: A52
Executive Producer: Jennifer Sofio Hall & Patrick Nugent
Producer: Scott Boyajan
VFX Supervisor: Patrick Murphy
CG Supervisor: Kirk Shintani
Flame Artists: Patrick Murphy, Steve Wolff, Stefan Gaillot, Michael Plescia
CG Artists: Andrew Romatz, Erin Clarke, Brian Lee, John Cherniak, Tom Connors, Michael Cardena, Jon Balcome, Wendy Klein, Tiffany Chou
Music: “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin
Sound Design:
Sound Designer & Music Editor: Gus Koven
Sound Design Assistant: Nicholas Tuttle
Executive Producer: Ceinwyn Clark
Mix: Play
Mixer: John Bolen
Executive Producer: Lauren Cascio
Assistants: Hermann Thumann & Jeff King
Color: MPC
Colorist: Mark Gethin
Cast:
Dad: Matt Hoffman
Mom: Joelene Bowles
Teenage Son: Will Shadley
7 Year Old Son: Jack Miller
Toddler Son: James Sphor
Toddler Son: Jack Papierniak
Infant: Cleo
