This Lofi YouTube execution served as a small but critical part of Nissan’s launch of the all-new all-electric ARIYA. The integrated campaign was rooted in the creative idea of showing two sides of ARIYA: the serenity of its interior and the ferocity of its performance. While TVC heavily focused on performance, Lofi was the perfect avenue for expressing ARIYA’s calming serenity - as exemplified through the car’s timeless Japanese futuristic design, EV quiet drive, and 300 mile range on a single charge.

Our objectives were to:

Drive nameplate awareness for Nissan’s all-new EV, ARIYA

Improve consumer sentiment

Drive high content engagement

Placing the Nissan brand in the Lofi community was a creative risk we knew we had to take. But before we could enter the crosshairs of brutally honest YouTube commenters, we needed to ensure that we could successfully embody the Lofi style, whilst highlighting the Japanese-Futuristic elements that inspired Nissan’s new EV. The ARIYA was the perfect vehicle to reach the audience we knew was already interested in EVs. So, we crafted a Japanese inspired four-hour animation with detailed scenes and easter eggs for loyal enthusiasts that nod to Nissan as a Japanese brand.

No detail was too small in the creation of this ad. Every environment has brilliant texture, lighting and artistry. Every sun beam, shadow, color scheme, or Japanese kaiju was just one part of the extensive craftsmanship that went into creating this four-hour ad — that doesn’t quite feel like an ad.

Reaching the Lofi community made business sense for Nissan because this audience is 2.1X more likely to be interested in Nissan, 2.8X more likely to be interested in EVs, and 1.5X more likely to be in the market for new vehicles.

In addition, knowing a natural behavior of Lofi listeners is leaving videos playing in the background for hours at a time, we wanted to remain true to the genre by creating an extended video with looping, anime-style animations and relaxing, Japanese-inspired beats. We wanted to blur the lines between advertiser and creator and provide something wonderful for the Lofi community, all while inviting people inside the ARIYA.

Once we launched the video, we saw an outpouring of positive comments. We also designed Nissan Easter eggs into the creative to invite YouTube commenters to show off their Nissan knowledge.

In a Lofi-style animation, a young female driver coasts through serene Japanese landscapes demonstrating the bliss of driving in the all-new, all-electric Nissan ARIYA. She is relaxed with one hand on the wheel and one finger slowly tapping along to the beats of calm music playing in the background. Hidden through the video are historical Nissan easter eggs as tribute to the brand’s rich Japanese heritage.

Results included:

Lofi executions led to a +7.6 ppt lift in ARIYA Awareness and 1082% Search Lift for the keyword “Nissan ARIYA”

Total of over 2 million hours of listening time

Video delivered at least 395M impressions

There were 17M video views from both paid and organic sources

3.5K comments that often praised Nissan for creating content that resonates with younger generations and appealing to consumers’ needs for unobtrusive advertising.

Universally positive sentiment. Audiences were amazed by the combination of relaxing, Lofi music and the artistic animation style. Brand association and sentiment toward Nissan was strong and praised.