By Kristin Wilcha

Nissan is delving fully into video on demand (VOD) with a series of shorts created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles. Presented under Shift_Passion banner, the sponsored films celebrate the passion and dedication of football fans. Viewers can opt in to see the films as a part of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket subscription package. The films were initially produced for a DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket showcase, which had been purchased by Nissan. Sunday Ticket is a subscription service that gives viewers access to all regular-season NFL games; on Mondays after the games, subscribers can view highlights of the previous day’s games. Prior to those highlights starting, viewers were able to opt in and view the Nissan content–the agency team dubbed the space vodpods. The films were also posted on www.ifilm.com, and will eventually be available on Nissan’s Web site.

“I’ve got to give Nissan a lot of credit,” stated Joe Shands, the creative director at TBWA/Chiat/Day who oversaw the project. “They were wonderful about this. We presented these ideas to them, and they saw the value of video on demand, and they gave us the go ahead to do something that’s all about ‘sponsored by.’ It wasn’t filled with cars; it was really about the passion for football, and the love we have for the game of football. They are one of the companies that now can claim that they’re taking good advantage of video on demand, this new emerging media opportunity.”

Good Vibrations, a documentary directed by Adam Forstadt and Matt Kalish of the agency’s in-house production arm, focuses on the Electric Football League (EFL), a group of grown men who play electric football, a game consisting of plastic player figures who are moved about a table-top-sized field by an electric motor. Popular in the 1960s and ’70s, the game has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The film chronicles a tournament of players, and was shot in a conference room at Los Angeles’ Fox Hill Mall. Covered In Gold, directed by Richard Sears of Green Dot Films, Santa Monica, focuses on Chuck, a trophy model–he’s the guy whose likeness can be found on everything from trophies featuring a pool player, a fisherman and even a snow-mobile enthusiast. Chuck’s always had a dream though–to pose for a football trophy, feeling it would honor a sport he’s loved since childhood. He even has a space on his bookshelf cleared for the day when his dream comes true. Finally, Chuck gets the call that he’s needed to pose for a football trophy; the film chronicles his preparations and eventual triumph.

The third film, Hinkleton, The Town Football Needs, was directed by Jon Nowak, also of Green Dot. The film focuses on Peyton Fowler, the mayor of a fictional town in Iowa called Hinkleton, as he works to make his dream of having a football franchise come true. He gets the whole town behind him, coming up with an elaborate proposal for The Silos–the team even comes up with a mascot–a top-heavy silo. Alas, it’s not meant to be–Hinkleton doesn’t get its team, but it’s not giving up on the dream. Nissan is barely mentioned or seen in the films, except fleetingly, like in Hinkleton, where the mayor is seen driving along in his Nissan.

 

THE PROCESS

“We decided that this opportunity is not just for re-purposing already existing film or commercials,” related Shands, who notes that initially Nissan and the agency filled its slots with “making of” videos of recent campaigns while they figured out what would ultimately fit there. “It really should be written to. We’re asking guys who are dying to see the Dallas/Philadelphia game because they missed it on Sunday, [to before] diving into their favorite game, to click on a film and watch it, and stay with it for four minutes.”

Shands noted that his team and Nissan wanted to “write things that are not ads, because guys will see that coming from the Lincoln Tunnel.” Instead, they focused the project on passion for the game, which tied into Nissan’s passion for a great driving experience.

“I think the guys did a great job,” said Rob Schwartz, executive creative director at TBWA/Chiat/Day, who oversees the Nissan account. “I think [the films are] authentic–we’re not trying to wedge irrelevant product shots. We’re just trying to do something special and let the halo of the charm you’re finding in the films just find its way to Nissan.”

Nowak and Sears were selected to direct based on their collaborative natures, as well as previous work in the long form arena, related Shands, citing Sears’ feature film Bong Water, and a series of long-form work Nowak directed for Lee Jeans and Fallon under the Buddy Lee: Guidance Counselor banner. Tapping Forstadt and Kalish for Good Vibrations proved a good call, with Shands noting, “they did a great job–I’m really proud of them.”

Currently the agency is looking at ways to get the films out to the broader public–possibilities include distributing them on a DVD, or doing cut-downs for broadcast television that could be aired episodically. Shands relates that Nissan is looking to do something similar with the NBA and its Frontier brand. “I’ve got to give them credit as a company,” said Shands of Nissan, “because they are very forward-thinking and they want to take advantage of new opportunities and emerging technologies. And they’re very geared towards the new way we’re going to have to advertise in the future.”

    Additional agency credits for Good Vibrations go to agency producer Mark Johnston; line producer Manuel Reta; associate creative director/writer Mike Yagi; and associate creative director/art director Chris Lynch. On Covered in Gold, agency credit goes to associate creative director/writer Steve Morris; associate creative director/art director Barney Goldberg, and agency producer Sybil McCarthy-Hadfield. The agency team on Hinkleton included McCarthy-Hadfield, Morris and Goldberg.

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