"The Versa site brought an unexpected storytelling element to the otherwise predictable 360-degree interior/exterior car site experience. The navigation and user journey is really unique and easy to follow." —juror Madison Wharton Marks
"I like that this work flowed seamlessly across all platforms. Plus the song is so damn catchy." —juror Perry Fair
Overview: Part of an integrated campaign by TBWA\Chiat\Day to launch the 2012 Nissan Versa, this digital experience illustrates a "Room for Anything" concept by immersing users in stories of roominess. Viewers can skip the app store; no download is required. Instead, the 360-degree gyroscopic panorama experience works in a browser, while people on tablets or smartphones can spin around to experience the car's interior and exterior—a more kinetic version of the traditional click-and-spin-360. The stories of spaciousness are told contextually with built-in proof points that demonstrate the exceptional leg- and head-room with cheeky elements that encourage deeper exploration.
• An XML configuration drives the panorama; based on browser capabilities it will render the panorama in Flash or HTML5.
• The hit song, "Don't Stop" by Foster The People, used for the Versa campaign was given away free for a social media "like."
• During the month following the campaign launch, the Versa was the best-selling car in its class.
Comments by Steve Savic:
What was the most challenging aspect of the project? "The challenge? People want to see the cars. There's something to be said for kicking the tires. Our goal was to make connections between people and the Nissan Versa. To do this we needed to give our users the freedom to explore the car in an environment they could relate to, in real ways…as if they were in it. To create a true-to-life environment digitally, we choreographed our experience inside and out, which demanded nearly 50,000 photos."
How did this project compare with others you've worked on in the past? "We had more wigs, shoes and hats than any other shoot I've been on. It was tough to stay on the tight schedule with all the wardrobe changes."
Did you use any applications that you hadn't used before? "We loved the true-to-life experience of gyro panoramas, but at the time they were all app-based. Our goal was to create an experience with a lower barrier of entry. So we experimented with a new browser-based code that allowed our gyro-powered panorama to work without downloading an app—which meant it was able to run on most browsers and devices."