2007 Nissan Maxima Launches with ``Cool'' Jazz Tunes

NASHVILLE, TN - July 28, 2006: The 2007 Nissan Maxima, a redesigned and refined 4-door sports sedan offering enhanced performance, advanced technology and premium styling, is heading to dealer showrooms with a cool and jazzy soundtrack behind it.

The "Jazz 2.0" marketing campaign integrates the upbeat sounds of smooth jazz to communicate the vehicle's cool performance and advanced technology, including Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), available Bluetooth hands-free capability and Intelligent Key.

"The Jazz 2.0 campaign portrays the 'cool' factor of the redesigned Nissan Maxima to the consumer," said Fred Suckow, director of marketing, Nissan North America. "The Nissan brand represents bold personality, creative design and individuality, similar to qualities of first-rate jazz music."

The concept shows the Maxima weaving through the inside of a trumpet, highlighting the vehicle's performance. The inspiration came from the abundance of jazz remixes out today. Nissan designed the creative material to depict how a consumer would feel if they were driving a Maxima while listening to next generation jazz.

Chicago-based trumpeter Orbert Davis, whose work has appeared in films ("Road to Perdition," "A League of Their Own") and on numerous television and radio commercials, raised his horn and brought his much-praised clarity and power to provide the music behind the images.

Now That's A Hairpin Turn!

The 30-second TV spot is directed by Academy Award-winning visual effects director, Robert Legato. Legato, who is known for his work on "Titanic," "Apollo 13," "The Aviator" and "Armageddon," collaborated with the team to capture a full size Nissan Maxima against a scaled model trumpet.

In order to recreate an obstacle course that appears as the inside of a trumpet, Legato crafted a full size metal tube and cylinder to replicate the trumpet and valves. Legato shot the Maxima as stunt driver Kofi Elam took sharp, hairpin turns around the 20-foot tall trumpet valve as it was raised and lowered by a crane.

The spot is currently airing on BET and UPN stations in New York, Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and the greater Miami market.

Jazz 2.0 Campaign - Print and Out-of-Home Advertising

Nissan looked to weave a jazz theme throughout the national print and out-of-home advertising to complete the 2007 Maxima launch campaign. Famed commercial photographer RJ Muna cast a San Francisco jazz band as models and positioned jazz artists with their finely tuned instruments alongside the 2007 Nissan Maxima.

The out-of-home includes billboards and transit station domination integrated into African American neighborhoods, cultural centers, and nightlife areas. The print will be featured in a combination of lifestyle, music, entertainment and culturally relevant national magazines in August issues. Station domination will launch August 1st in select stations in New York, Chicago and Washington, DC.