Nissan launches all-new 2021 Rogue with creative marketing campaign, signs multi-year partnership with actress Brie Larson

November 9, 2020

• Rogue launch campaign follows families putting all-new 2021 Rogue to the test across multiple environments and terrains
• Featuring cameo from actress Brie Larson, launch campaign kicks off November 9
• Nissan signs Larson to multi-year brand partnership in U.S.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today Nissan launches the all-new 2021 Rogue with a campaign designed to match the vehicle’s edgy, versatile and adventurous personality. The 360-degree “Rogue Gone Rogue” campaign for Nissan’s best-selling U.S. model in the industry’s largest segment begins on November 9 with TV and online integrations and strategic partnerships with Amazon and Atlas Obscura.

Featuring a cameo by Academy Award-winning actress and EMMY Award-winning producer Brie Larson, the campaign follows families on their unique and varied adventures made possible by the 2021 Rogue midsize crossover.

Nissan extends partnership with Larson

As part of the multi-year partnership, Larson will collaborate with Nissan on a variety of on- and off-screen activities. As a Nissan brand ambassador, she will take an active role in select creative campaigns, support new model launches and participate in employee and dealer events. Larson will also support the Nissan Foundation using her platform to bring visibility to the educational programming its grantees introduce in respective cities.

“Brie embodies the Nissan spirit in her desire to challenge the status quo off-screen and her ability to bring thrill and excitement to on-screen roles,” said Allyson Witherspoon, vice president and chief marketing officer, Nissan U.S. “When we previously worked with Brie on the Sentra campaign, she brought a unique point of view to the creative during the production process, advocating for diversity and inclusivity, which aligns with her interest in supporting the work of the Nissan Foundation.”

For more than 28 years, the Nissan Foundation has been working to foster a greater appreciation and understanding of America’s diverse cultural heritage.

“I am thrilled to be expanding my role as Nissan’s brand ambassador and collaborating on their philanthropic endeavors,” said Brie Larson. “Finding a brand with mission-aligned values and an authentic connection to its workforce and customers is very important to me. Everything I’ve learned about Nissan supports those relationships at its core. I look forward to continuing our partnership both on- and off-camera.”

Front and center: Rogue’s radical redesign

The marketing campaign for the all-new 2021 Rogue is centered around the family unit and showcases the vehicle’s commanding modern design and cutting-edge technology. The campaign highlights the Rogue’s many premium features including enhanced available ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link, standard Nissan Safety Shield® 360, wireless charging and wireless Apple CarPlay®. The TV spots demonstrate the versatility of the Rogue, putting the crossover’s three drive and two terrain modes to full use.

In the campaign’s “What Should We Do Today” TV spot, an adventure-seeking family travels across many environments taking advantage of the Rogue’s auto, eco and sport drive modes as well as its snow and off-road terrain modes available on All-Wheel Drive models. Ultimately, they end up at the movies where Larson makes her cameo appearance, pulling up alongside them in her own 2021 Rogue.

“It’s a campaign that perfectly demonstrates the appeal of the Rogue to families and anyone else seeking a vehicle that has it all,” Witherspoon said. “Whether traveling in the mountains, to the beach or the movies, the Rogue has all the technology, the most standard safety offerings in its class, and family-friendly features to enable an optimal driving experience.”

Nissan’s multi-tier creative campaign for the Rogue is truly integrated with YouTube and Amazon takeovers alongside unique TV integrations across Univision, Discovery and NBC. The campaign continues with TV, online video, print, radio, digital and social placements around family-focused content in the run-up to Thanksgiving and beyond.

Without a doubt, the Rogue launch marks Nissan’s biggest and most important of the year.

“The all-new Rogue is a key milestone in Nissan’s U.S. transformation plan,” Witherspoon said. “The campaign to launch it had to be equally transformative. We’ve put together a truly integrated plan that compellingly demonstrates why the 2021 Rogue demands a closer look.”

Nissan was diligent about taking safety precautions and enforcing social distancing among cast and crew on the “Rogue Gone Rogue” set. For some scenes, the crew filmed the actors individually and pieced the segments together in post-production.