2005 Nissan Maxima Creates Urban Meltdown in New York and Los Angeles; Nissan Displays Unique Street Scenes as Extension of Maxima's ``Hotness'' Campaign

GARDENA, Calif.--Oct. 8, 2004--New York pedestrians may feel an overwhelming sense of heat today when walking through Manhattan's SoHo district. No, it's not summer again, but an innovative marketing technique Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) designed to capture the attention of consumers.

Starting today, the 2005 Maxima will be positioned in live street scenes that will create an effect of an urban meltdown, causing nearby objects -- such as street lamps, trash cans and parking meters -- to melt and droop. The Maxima will appear at prime locations in New York and Los Angeles, positioned beneath backdrops of large print ads that portray a burned, charred effect caused by the "hot" Maxima. In New York, heaters and glowing lights will be placed around the vehicles to enhance the ultra sensory effect.

Over the next two weeks, the street scenes will show up spontaneously and then move to another location after a period of three days. The first scenes appear today at the corner of Houston & Lafayette in New York and Melrose & Spaulding in Los Angeles. Consumers can also see the street scenes at the following locations:

New York:
Third Avenue @ 13th Street, 10/12 - 10/15
West Broadway & SoHo Grand, 10/17 -10/20

Los Angeles:
Highland and Sunset, 10/12 - 10/15
3rd Street & Harper, 10/17 - 10/20

"Nissan hopes to reach beyond traditional marketing with this unique integrated campaign," said Fred Suckow, Director of Nissan Marketing. "With the Maxima street scenes, consumers are engaged through all their senses. Not only will the scenes grab the attention of onlookers in busy metro areas, but they will also bring to life the essence of Maxima and the 'Hotness' campaign."

All creative for this campaign was designed by Nissan's transcultural agency TRUE, located in Playa del Rey, California. The campaign adds to last year's highly successful "Touch" campaign that helped launch the redesigned Maxima.

Other forms of "Hotness" Marketing

Television

In the television ad -- which began airing in June -- a young female African-American experiences the driving performance of the 265 horsepower Maxima. The ad dances from reality to fantasy, from winter to summer, leaving the viewer and driver exhilarated but puzzled by their experience.

Print

The print ads -- which began in September -- are designed to associate the Maxima with a high-end, upscale lifestyle. One of the ads "Sweat It" features a knob dialed past its hottest point, portraying the luxury audio element of the Maxima. Another ad, "Fader Fever," portrays a DJ's fader switch turned all the way up, with a tag line of that describes the available GPS navigation and Bose stereo system. The print ads can be found in the following publications: African Americans on Wheels, Black Enterprise, Essence, Fader, Rides, Mass Appeal, NV, Odyssey Colour, Suede, Vibe and XXL.

Wild Postings

As part of out-of-home advertising, the print ads will also be re-designed in wild postings form. These ads will be displayed in urban areas and as the backdrops to the street scenes in New York and Los Angeles. The wild postings will portray a burned, charred effect caused by the Maxima.

About 2005 Nissan Maxima

The 2005 Nissan Maxima continues the formula passed down from five previous generations -- an unmatched blend of performance and luxury. The sixth generation Maxima, which received the AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award for the Entry Luxury Car category, combines Maxima's traditional high level of performance from the award-winning VQ engine with expressive sports styling and bold design innovations. The 2005 Maxima's SkyView(TM) features a glass panel roof running lengthwise over the front and rear seats, while the Elite Package includes a fixed, full center console that creates true 4-place seating.

About Nissan North America, Inc.

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infiniti.com.