Nissan Creates Show To Spotlight Brands

By Mariana Lemann

April 01, 2006 InsideBrandEntertainment

Mexico and the U.S. are preparing to face off next month in a soccer match in Los Angeles to set the record straight. The two countries have unfinished business since 1997, when they played in the prequalifying games for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, ending twice in a tie.

This year's rematch, however, is pure marketing. While the official U.S. and Mexican national teams are traveling to Germany to compete in the 2006 World Cup, Nissan North America will be seeking out both teams' 1997 players to face off once again.

Mixing soccer, branded entertainment and reality television, Nissan North America and New York-based The Vidal Partnership, its Hispanic agency, have created El Reto Final Nissan. The reality show consists of five one-hour episodes in which the 1997 players will be "ambushed" and, eventually, persuaded to regroup, participate in a training camp and play each other again.

The show, produced by Miami-based Zeal Television, debuts nationally April 16 on Fox Sports en Español. The match will take place May 21 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

"Anybody can do the World Cup; we can do the World Cup the Nissan way, bringing these teams on the wagon for the World Cup excitement," says Oswald Méndez, managing partner/director of integrated communications for Vidal.

The production team will travel in Nissan's Titan, Altima and Xterra vehicles chasing the retired players. "[The production team is] utilizing the products of the clients in the actual making of the show," says Tom Maney, svp of advertising sales for Fox Sports en Español. "This is truly branded programming entertainment at the inception."

Vidal developed the campaign that started in February with teaser ads and includes promotions, online, TV and public relations.

"This a first-of-its-kind show where, before it is produced, we create a partnership between the production company, an ad agency with their roster of clients and the network, and create it together from the inception all the way through," Maney says.

DIRECTV and Sprint are additional sponsors.