Nissan Motor Co. will advertise in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015 with an ad starring Brie Larson. The 60-second spot will plug the automaker’s forthcoming electric Ariya crossover, as well as the 2023 Nissan Z sports car, Nissan confirmed to Ad Age, an affiliate of Automotive News.
Previous to the 2015 game, Nissan had not made a Super Bowl appearance since 1997.
“Super Bowl isn’t something that we always do like some of the other brands, but it is something we felt was important for this year,” said Allyson Witherspoon, chief marketing officer for Nissan U.S. “We have one of the freshest lineups in the industry and so we want to make sure we have an opportunity on a platform such as Super Bowl to show what we have been up to as a brand. ... We want to communicate that Nissan is back in a really thrilling way.”
The ad from TBWA/Chiat/Day is called “Thrill Ride.” It will be more lighthearted than serious, she suggested. “It’s going to entertain you, it’s going to make you smile,” she said, without revealing other creative details.
The director is Craig Gillespie, whose movie credits include “I, Tonya” and “Cruella.”
See Nissan's 2015 and 1997 Super Bowl ads in the Ad Age Super Bowl Archive.