After a 15 year hiatus, Nissan were re-launching the all-new Patrol in Australia. This new model had been refined beyond belief, from capability to luxurious appointments. Our challenge was that in Australia the Nissan Patrol comes with a fiercely loyal following and a tough-as-guts reputation and heritage. As such, we needed to convince Patrol loyalist of the vehicle’s capabilities, while simultaneously showcasing to a new audience, just how luxuriously refined the vehicle had become.

We figured: the most rugged and refined 4x4 ever, needed a track to match. So we took the soundwave from one of the most refined musical compositions in history, Beethoven’s Ninth. From that we created a 5 story high, 4x4 track, half the length of a football field, complete with rock obstacles, water crossings and almost impossible inclines and descents. The peaks and troughs of the song, became the peaks and troughs of our track.

Within just one week the campaign achieved: a 50% increase in Google searches for 'Nissan Patrol' — making it the most searched for model in Nissan’s range.

31.31% of viewers were converted from the entertainment video through to product-focused content, with more information on the new Patrol.

Jason Pellegrino, Director of Google Australia, says of the Patrol VS Beethoven campaign “It is THE case study that we are using in Australia to showcase to our clients best practice in delivering a campaign that is built from the ground up to address this new media paradigm”.

4.5% of viewers clicked through to nissan.com.au to find a dealer and book test drives — making the highest 'click through rate' in Nissan Australia's history.

The track based on Beethoven’s ninth symphony became the ultimate product demonstration for the new Nissan Patrol. Australia’s leading 4X4 expert, described it as the hardest track he had ever driven. And the link to Beethoven acknowledged the refinement and style of the new Patrol in a humorous and clever way — very much in keeping with the Nissan brand in Australia.

The event was used to create web films and online content leading to detailed information about the Nissan Patrol. We also used the track as an experiential promotion, running a nationwide competition for 4X4 enthusiasts to experience the drive. This along with posters, print and digital banners encouraged enthusiasts to spread the story.