Nissan pairs college football with facial recognition for face paint fun
Nissan is targeting college football enthusiasts with the DieHard Fan application, enabling users to superimpose face paint onto selfies while pairing a popular fan activity with face-scanning technology.
The app is a part of the vehicle manufacturer?s College 100 Sponsorship in which Nissan is sponsoring one hundred colleges and universities in the US, hoping to appeal to students and fans. The DieHard Fan app allows users to show their support through social media and keeps Nissan as a well-regarded brand associated with the teams.
"The Diehard Fan app is a perfect complement to our Nissan College 100 Sponsorship," said Jeremy Tucker, VP, Marketing Communications and Media at Nissan. "It is an engagement platform that enhances the on-site game day experience through digital.
"This partnership is more than signage at sports events, we will bring unique experiences that only Nissan can deliver and we feel this first-of-its kind, augmented-reality app delivers on that in a fun and interactive way," he said.
Fandom frenzy
The face paint filters are high quality and made to look as realistic as possible, so users can share images of themselves sporting the artistic paint without needing the skill set to do it themselves. Fans open the app, choose which school they are supporting then through the smartphone camera it scans the user?s face.
Similar to Snapchat?s lenses, which have become very popular, the app superimposes an interactive filter on their photos creating a look as if the user is wearing the paints. The paint stays on the fan?s face along with movements.
Users browse through a variety of choices for paint patterns available by swiping left or right. For instance, an Auburn fan has a choice of 21 looks all incorporating the school?s colors orange and blue.
Once the fan has settled on a favorite look he or she can take a picture or video of themselves and share with friends. Facebook messenger is integrated within the app as well so users can easily share with friends.
Nissan leveraged the talent of an experienced face painter. The expert painted every look available in the app on actual people which were digitally re-mastered and integrating with the face scanning technology to look realistic.
Nissan innovations
The vehicle manufacturer also showcased the 2015 Altima sedan and took its interactive social media strategy to the next level following the success of last year's scavenger hunt by posting clues on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram that ask guests to find a hidden vehicle and offer the chance to win a 2015 Nissan Altima. (see more).
Nissan also drove customized, local car-shopping experiences via a native ad on Huffington Post that makes it easy for readers to build their desired vehicle configuration and get a quote from a nearby dealer (see more).
"This is allows us to engage with consumers and align them with Nissan where they choose to go to socialize and play," Mr. Tucker said. "It is not intrusive, it is fun, and it is very shareable in terms of social media."
Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer