Car manufacturers have to think up increasingly interesting ways to advertise their product. It is no longer an option to ‘whizz-bang’ your consumers out of their pockets; creative measures need to be taken and Nissan has risen to the challenge admirably. Promoting the new Cube model, their products are now being showcased as design rather than mere consumer bits and bobs.
Touring across Europe, including Berlin and Paris, Nissan have set up pop-up shops, each hosting a mini festival celebrating design and Japanese culture. Events start from the 25th November and continue until the 3rd of January, and you’ll find the Cube shop at Boiler House in the east end of London. The main events will be ‘Design Inspirations’, a season of creative forums focussed around architecture, art, design, film, and fashion. This will be hosted by only the most fascinating of artists and designers, including Tony Kaye (designer of the Sgt. Pepper album cover) and Keith Khan, Chief Executive of Rich Mix and Head of Culture for the 2012 Olympics. There will be “an orchestra you cannot imagine” with, erm, cyber rabbits and Tokyoite evenings, where three classic Japanese films will be shown in a surreal and mad spectrum of colourful surroundings.
Now… there’s a hitch in the proceedings, albeit an exciting one. To be able to attend any of these super-cool events you need to either grab a member’s card from mysterious Cube drivers or register on the Cubelist. The site requires participation: there’s a 24-page questionnaire to ‘get to know you’ before you can be cleared to be a plus member (if you get cleared at all), and get discounts on the products in the online shop. This is bespoke marketing, designed to focus on the most suitable customers and reward them for their diligence.
This event is bound to brighten up everyone’s Christmas. Arts and Business is always impressed when brands put the effort into creating special events using the arts to bring people together, and produce eye-catching marvellous events at the same time.
