Nissan wanted to launch the first 100% electric car into Australia. Problem was, most Australians had no idea the electric car was a reality. They thought it was just a thing of the future. In order to sell the Nissan LEAF, we needed to create a public discussion and experience around electric cars, with Nissan at the heart of the innovation. We set out to communicate that — with the introduction of the new Nissan LEAF — petrol could soon be a thing of the past.

We posed a simple, thought-provoking question: “In a world without petrol, what do we do with the pumps?”

We then took over 40 used petrol pumps transforming them into interactive everyday items such as fish tanks, gumball dispensers, disco balls and Pacman games.

We invited the public to play with them, at large interactive outdoor exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney.

Every exhibition piece used near-field technology linking to more Nissan LEAF features online. The campaign had heavy PR support (through national newsmedia and hundreds of targeted blogs), online films, a dedicated website, FaceBook, Flickr, a YouTube channel, and print.

RESULTS (within one week).

• Over 12 million people viewed via Facebook sharing.

• Over 100 pieces of editorial generated.

• 100% of coverage included brand mentions (90% included imagery).

• Over 17 million impressions via online media stories.

• A 4 minute feature and interview with Nissan Australia’s CEO about electric cars, on Australia’s primetime news conversation show, The Project.

• Invited to exhibit the recycled pumps at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia’s largest public art museum.

• Nissan was later voted in the Top 30 Most Innovative Companies in Australia by BRW Magazine. The Nissan LEAF campaign and strategy was sighted as the primary reason.

An unconventional car needed an unconventional launch. With a limited budget, a traditional TV commercial was not going to have a great impact. Strangely enough, using ubiquitous petrol pumps to create a large-scale ambient activation was far more engaging and poignant — serving to educate, excite and ultimately create buyers in a brand new automotive segment within Australia. We felt the simple charm and clever nature of the art piece pumps was in keeping with the Nissan brand here in Australia.