Nissan Hails Huge Rio 2016 Olympic Sponsorship Success

From an increase in Brazilian market share, to the successful launch of its new Kicks crossover vehicle, to robust consumer brand engagement, Nissan today declared its Rio 2016 Olympic sponsorship an unqualified success.

Nissan undertook its sponsorship of the Olympic and Paralympic Games with the stated goals of increasing awareness of its brand in Brazil and Latin America; supporting the global launch of a new vehicle in Brazil – a first for the company; and leaving a lasting legacy in the host nation. With that as the backdrop, below are some of the results and highlights from Nissan’s sponsorship during the first two weeks of the Games:

· A full percentage point increase in Nissan’s Brazil market share since the start of the Games to 3.5%

· 2.4 billion impressions on Twitter for Nissan Olympic specific hashtags (source: Sysomos)

· Nissan ranks No. 1 in impressions in the automotive category across branded social platforms during the Olympics (Source: Origami Logic)

· Nissan’s #QuemSeAtreve hashtag (#WhoDares in English) has become the third best performing brand hashtag, behind only two of Coca Cola’s and ahead of all other global sponsors. The result is even more impressive given Nissan is a local Brazil sponsor (Source: Adweek)

· #Nissan ranks No. 4 among all companies associated with the Games (Source: Adweek)

· More than 2,000 registrations and down payments for Nissan Kicks, launched in Brazil at the start of the Torch Relay, through an online registration system never before used in Brazil

· Nearly 9 million views of Nissan’s Bolt vs Flame campaign launched in the lead-up to the Games

· Nissan’s Olympic initiatives have generated more than 4,000 articles globally, generating more than 15 billion media impressions (Source: Meltwater)

To-date, Team Nissan athletes have been awarded 24 medals at the Rio 2016 Games, with the countries Nissan sponsors winning 91 medals. Nissan supports the Brazilian, British, Mexican, Colombian and Greek Olympic Teams, as well as 51 sponsored athletes – including Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, and athletes from Brazil and Great Britain – across the Olympics and Paralympics.

“Our achievement in raising awareness for Nissan in Brazil and driving sales of Kicks validates our decision to sponsor the Rio Games, and will provide a lasting effect on the marketplace,” said François Dossa, President of Nissan Brazil. “We are thrilled with the impact our sponsorship has had throughout Latin America and on fans around the globe. This has been a big win for Nissan and we are excited to continue to build on this momentum in the region.”

Nissan has also seen success through its multiple on-the-ground experiences in Brazil.

· More than 8,000 people have experienced Nissan’s Olympic Park Live Site activation

· The Nissan bungee jump at Olympic Boulevard was at maximum capacity with more than 1,000 people participating in the jumps and crowds flocking to the site to watch

· Celebrating Brazilian culture, the rooftop parties at the Nissan Kicks Hotel have attracted more than 1,500 guests

· Nissan has hosted 1,100 guests from a total of 20 countries at the Games

Nissan Olympic Activations

· Olympic Fleet: As the official automotive partner of Rio 2016, Nissan’s cornerstone activation has been the provision of 4,200 vehicles to serve as the official Olympic Fleet, both in the lead up to the Games for the Olympic Torch Relay across Brazil and throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

· Nissan Kicks, the official vehicle of Rio 2016, was launched in Brazil to coincide with the start of the Games, the first time Nissan has conducted the global launch of a car in Latin America before being made available in more than 80 countries around the world. Kicks was developed and designed to reflect the vibrant culture, style and colors of Brazil.

· Nissan Kicks Hotel: On Copacabana Beach, the buzzworthy Nissan Kicks Hotel, was the only fully-rebranded hotel property of the Rio Games, complete with interior and exterior Nissan signage, Olympic-themed dynamic displays and rooftop parties in partnership with Universal Music and VOGUE Brasil. The parties celebrated Brazilian culture and featured top acts that performed in the Opening Ceremony. Nissan also hosted press conferences with Olympic athletes and Usain Bolt’s parents, Wellesley and Jennifer.

· Olympic Live Sites: Central to Nissan’s efforts has been a 40-meter (131-foot) high bungee jump on Olympic Boulevard, with additional activations including the “Nissan Kicks House” in the Olympic Park’s Live Site in Barra, where the public can learn about the company’s technologies, visit the exclusive Torch area and play games related to the recently-launched Nissan Kicks.

· BladeGlider and e-Bio Fuel-Cell prototypes: Unveiled by CEO Carlos Ghosn in Rio on August 4, Nissan offered test drives of its high performance electric sportscar prototype, BladeGlider, and showcased its e-Bio Fuel-Cell prototype, a first-of-its-kind in Brazil that runs on bio-ethanol electric power.

· Usain Bolt, Nissan’s Global Director of Excitement: Bolt is featured in a digital campaign in which he races against a new and unexpected challenger – fire. A pair of mini-documentaries feature Bolt competing against fire, his toughest competitor. Bolt also drives his Nissan GT-R painted in “Bolt Gold,” which was exclusively customized for him. Nissan also created a fan-led “Happy Bolt Day” social media activation to celebrate the Olympic champion’s 30th birthday.

· Team Nissan: Nissan proudly supports the Olympic teams of Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico, Colombia and Greece. In 2012, Nissan created the “Team Nissan” program in Brazil with the goal of supporting Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. Since then, Nissan has provided 31 Brazilian athletes with life skill training programs and mentorship from Brazilian basketball icon and Olympic medalist Hortência Marcari and Clodoaldo Silva, one of the most respected Paralympic medalists of all time.

Brazil Legacy

· Through the Nissan Institute, the company supports the Miratus Association, a nonprofit promoting social development through education and sport (focusing on badminton) for the youth of the Chacrinha community in Rio de Janeiro. Miratus was founded by Sebastião Dias de Oliveira, father of Ygor Coelho, a Team Nissan athlete, who became the first Brazilian to compete in badminton at the Olympic Games. The pair star in an inspiring documentary titled “Bad and the Birdieman.”

· The company is supporting a major urban and social transformation in Caju, an underserved area in Rio de Janeiro. A partnership between Nissan Brazil and Gol de Letra Foundation, the program will transform Gol de Letra, a social and educational Association presided by the International Brazilian football player Raí Oliveira, that provides mentoring and learning opportunities to more than 800 children and adults through “The Caju: A New Look.” 

· Inspired by the female athletes competing in Rio and in support of women everywhere, Nissan will build off its #WhoDares campaign and has launched #SheDares both on site and across its channels.