Infiniti Announces New G35 Advertising Campaign

GARDENA, Calif., March 20 -- Infiniti launches its all new 2003 G35 sports sedan with an innovative advertising campaign that not only speaks of Infiniti's newest vehicle, but also of Infiniti's future in the marketplace. The campaign, which breaks today with newspaper inserts, highlights the performance, technological innovation and styling of the G35. This campaign is part of the bigger effort to clearly position Infiniti as a premium brand delivering high-performance luxury vehicles.

``The new G35 is a fabulous new sports sedan that offers exhilarating performance, fresh styling and advanced technology. The goal of the campaign is to showcase these attributes in an engaging, human way as well as demonstrate the brand's character and focus on the future,'' said Steve Wilhite, vice president of marketing, Infiniti.

The introductory piece, titled ``Anthem,'' kicks off the television campaign on March 22nd. It draws upon the fantastic visions of the automotive future made famous by Popular Science Magazine articles and concept show cars from the past. This spot shows consumers what the future of Infiniti will look like. ``We are in the process of delivering the type of vehicles we used to dream about,'' said Wilhite. ``The G35 is the first of four new Infinitis consumers will see in the next nine months.''

The second spot, titled ``Heart'' will air beginning April 1. This piece utilizes the concept of thermal imaging to showcase the passion and enthusiasm of driving a G35. It begins with a man starting his G35, the thermal imaging shows the cooled engine turning red as it heats up, simultaneously his heart begins to glow red as he hears the car come alive. The voiceover ends with: ``introducing the 260-horsepower adrenaline pump.'' This spot provides unforgettable and compelling images that define Infiniti's position as a company that builds vehicles for driving enthusiasts.

The final spot, titled ``Hand'' will also air beginning April 1. It emphasizes the importance of the G35's new platform and aerodynamic qualities. This ad shows a woman with her hand out of the window playing with the wind. As she moves her hand in different angles the wind either moves effortlessly over her hand or pushes it back harshly. The G35's underbody airflow has been optimally controlled by positioning the muffler, fuel tank and other key components so they direct air movement rather than obstruct it. The shape of the lower front bumper and front engine edge cover increases airflow speed, then diffuses the compressed (speeded up) airflow at the rear area of the engine cover. The flat floor layout combines with rear deflectors, rear diffusers and a specially shaped spare tire panel to repeat the diffusion action so that airflow is controlled under the floor and ultimately released at the rear edge of the spare tire panel. The payoff of all these efforts is zero lift. ``We wanted to show consumers the benefits of this remarkable technology in a simple understandable way. Who hasn't put their hand out a window and played with the wind? What a perfect way to learn about aerodynamics and the importance of making wind your friend. It's a simple spot that shows the emotional connection between a great car and people who love to drive,'' said Wilhite.

The new ad campaign is just one of the many marketing initiatives that Infiniti has planned for this year to build interest and drive showroom traffic for the new G35. The other initiatives include Internet activity enhancements and targeted regional marketing activities. The ad campaign includes television, print, outdoor and interactive advertising. Advertising has been created by Infiniti's agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day, based in Playa del Rey, Calif.

The new rear-wheel drive G35 is powered by an advanced, 260-horsepower V6 engine mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. The G35's performance is enhanced by a new 4-wheel independent suspension with lightweight aluminum components and highly aerodynamic styling -- including a coefficient of drag of just 0.27 and zero degrees of front lift. The G35 is positioned to compete against popular sports sedans such as the BMW 3-series, Lexus IS300 and Audi A4 2.8.