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Nissan has enlisted the help of former University of Southern California (USC) Trojans running back Reggie Bush to star in a new campaign.
Made together with creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day, the initiative sees Bush finally getting his well-deserved welcome to the Nissan Heisman House.
Here, the USC legend emerges from a cryotherapy room to catch up on what he missed out on in the past decade.
The Nissan Heisman House campaign's launch comes after the Heisman Trophy Trust reinstated the 2005 Heisman Memorial Trophy to Bush in April.
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Bush's collegiate career at USC came to a controversial end in 2010 when the NCAA stripped him of the Heisman Trophy after an investigation uncovered that during his tenure with the Trojans from 2003 to 2005, he had violated rules by accepting impermissible benefits.
As a result, he was compelled to forfeit the coveted trophy, a decision that sent shockwaves through the world of college football and set a precedent for future cases involving player misconduct.
After years of controversy surrounding his awarding, the organization cited the "enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years" as grounds for this decision.
With the trophy returning to the football star, Nissan is cementing his legend status by welcoming him to the Heisman Brotherhood.
Bush expressed excitement about being featured in the campaign, likening the experience to being in a locker room all over again as he shared laughs with other football stars.
A Campaign of Legends
Nissan Heisman House is a 14-year-old marketing campaign made together with ESPN.
It features humorous commercials where past Heisman Trophy winners live together in a fictional house, including famous athletes like Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram, Baker Mayfield, ex-coach Steve Spurrier, and more.
The ads, which air during the college football season, celebrate the sport's history while promoting Nissan vehicles.
"One of the things that we do strive for is being part of that culture conversation — and the Heisman program and campaign does that [...] For us, it’s not just a campaign, it’s a moment," Nissan U.S. VP and CMO Marisstella Marinkovic said.
"Frozen in Time," the first in a series of five spots, aired on August 29. Meanwhile, the other commercials will be unveiled in the coming months.
A campaign spanning over a decade, Nissan Heisman House is not only a great way to collaborate with football's biggest names but also an effective brand marketing strategy to strike a chord among sports fans — building brand recognition whilst touting its automobile offerings.
Bush Is Back
The 30-second "Frozen in Time" spot kickstarts with Robert Griffin lll (RGlll) giving Jayden Daniels, the latest Heisman Trophy winner, a tour around the House.
They then stumble upon the Cryotherapy Room (established in 2005) and unleash Bush, who has been frozen inside for decades — a metaphor for his recent reinstatement as a Heisman Trophy holder.
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"So, what's new?" the football star asks the two.
RGlll and Daniels then give Bush a rundown of things he missed out, including the all-new Nissan Kicks, a bunch of robot dogs, Desmond Howard filming Big Al content, and a man using a mixed-reality headset to watch the game.
"That's how you Heisman," the screen writes, as the spot ends.
Previously, TBWA\Chiat\Day and DirecTV worked together with George Kittle to tout its satellite-free services.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
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