Nissan Heisman House debuts new playoff-themed spots

Nashville, Tenn. – This week, coinciding with release of the first rankings for this season’s College Football Playoff (CFP), Nissan debuts three new TV spots that will air on New Year’s Eve, on ESPN, during the CFP Semifinal games.

The vignettes feature an impressive line-up of Heisman trophy winners including football greats such as Marcus Mariota, Robert Griffin III, Herschel Walker, Steve Spurrier, George Rogers and Tony Dorsett, with a special appearance by the University of Oregon mascot, The Duck.

The spots show the players gathering together in the house for a New Year’s Eve viewing party, dressed for the occasion in tuxedos. In one vignette, University of Florida Heisman winner Steve Spurrier and University of South Carolina winner George Rogers get some grief from the guys for their loose interpretation of the party dress code.

In conjunction with the kick-off of the 2015 college football season, ESPN and Nissan brought back The Nissan Heisman House in September to give fans a glimpse of what it might be like if the winners of football’s highest individual honor – the Heisman Trophy – lived together under one roof. The integrated campaign featured TV spots, print, radio, digital and a series of social videos timed to align with key games. Fan engagement with the campaign is at an unprecedented high, with vignette video views at 15.9 million, social video views at 2.2 million and Heisman House Tour visits at 110,000.  

"Nissan is proud to continue our strong partnership with the Heisman Trust and the ESPN College Football Playoff to create unforgettable content for college football fans,” said Jeremy Tucker, vice president, Nissan Marketing Communications and Media, Nissan North America. “By once again showcasing Nissan front and center during what is sure to be another record setting viewership event for cable television, the College Football Playoff semifinals and national championship, we are helping to again deliver strong growth for Nissan.”

The Nissan Heisman House campaign supports Nissan's long-standing sponsorship of the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award and the Heisman Trophy Trust, a charitable organization focused on outreach to the underprivileged and underserved.

About Nissan North America 
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online atwww.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com andInfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co. 
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About ESPN
ESPN, the world's leading sports entertainment company, features more than 50 assets – seven U.S. television networks, ESPN International, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by The Hearst Corporation.

About the Heisman Trophy Trust
The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player in the United States. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award. The Trust, furthermore, has a charitable mission to support amateur athletes and to provide greater opportunities to the youth of our country. Our goal through these charitable endeavors is for The Heisman Trophy to symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or afflicted.

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Contact

Jeannie Whited
Nissan North America
615-725-6461
Jeannie.whited@nissan-usa.com

Ana Livia Coelho
ESPN
646-547-5778
AnaLivia.C.Coelho@ESPN.com

Tim Henning
The Heisman Memorial Trophy
212-425-7000
Tim@Heisman.com