On Monday Nissan wrapped the 12-day media launch of its latest vehicle, the Cube. The event brought roughly 110 journalists from around the U.S. and Canada to the Miami Art Space in the Wywood arts district. In addition to the vintage car pictures displayed as part of the gallery’s latest exhibit, Nissan's public relations and marketing firm, Edelman, hung Nissan signage and Cube-inspired artwork on the walls.
“We tried to keep as much of the artwork up, while trying to brand the space at the same time so the media get the full sense of the car and marketing that goes with it,” said Edelman account executive Katie Nafius, who worked on the event with Nissan North America product public relations manager Darryll Harrison.
Following hourlong informational sessions each morning, the journalists had a chance to check out the cars up close. Eight Cubes were parked in the venue’s main courtyard for test drives along one of three preset routes around Miami. The routes integrated local points of interest and provided journalists with multiple photo opportunities. “We wanted people to experience the car, instead of sending them along one long route without much to see,” said Nafius.
On Saturday, Nissan honed in on its target demographic—college-age adults and hip twentysomethings—by inviting college media and bloggers to the event. This was the first time the company reached out to journalists outside the automotive industry's magazines and national newspapers.
Lyon & Lyon Catering provided a light breakfast buffet with coffee, fruit, and bite-size pastries each morning. The company also served a full lunch on the venue’s patio after guests returned from the test drives.
