Nissan wanted to launch the first 100% electric car into Australia. Problem was, most Australians had no idea that the electric car was a reality. They thought it was just a thing of the future. We needed to create an awareness campaign, generating public discussion and content sharing around electric cars and the future of petrol, placing Nissan at the forefront of the innovation.

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 going to be far more engaging and poignant — the sort of thing a wide audience would love and the media would pick up on. We felt the simple charm and clever nature of the art piece pumps was in keeping with the Nissan brand here in Australia.

To start a public discussion, 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 outdoor exhibitions.

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

RESULTS (within one week):

• Over 12m people viewed via Facebook sharing.

• Over 100 pieces of editorial generated.

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

• Over 17m impressions via online media stories.

• A 4 minute feature and interview with Nissan Australia’s CEO about electric cars, on Australia’s prime-time 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.