Nissan’s 2022 Heisman House campaign thrills fans with fresh storylines and a virtual world

Nissan’s “Heisman House” is back for a 12th season, giving fans a closer look at the competitive and spirited sides of their favorite players, while welcoming a college-level athlete into the fold for the first time.
The latest Heisman Trophy winner, college football’s Bryce Young, joins past winners Tim Tebow, Devonta Smith, Kyler Murray, Desmond Howard, Barry Sanders, Baker Mayfield, Carson Palmer, Robert Griffin III, Charlie Ward, Derrick Henry and “The Head Ball Coach,” Steve Spurrier, for another season inside the legendary fraternity.

With the addition of Young, this campaign highlights the first NCAA® Student Athlete NIL (name, image, likeness) brand partnership for Nissan.

“We are thrilled to welcome this year’s Heisman House class. Having Bryce Young opened a variety of potential new story lines for our creative team,” said Allyson Witherspoon, vice president and U.S. chief marketing officer, Nissan U.S. “The writing behind these spots continues to naturally showcase each player’s unique comedic talents, providing a glimpse into a side of their personalities that can be well hidden when they are on the playing field.”

The all-new, all-electric 2023 Nissan Ariya, the 2023 Nissan Z, the 2022 Nissan Frontier and the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder are highlighted throughout the campaign.

New addition, new competitions

The 2022 campaign includes 10 spots focused on the naturally competitive nature of the athletes. Equally competitive fans are encouraged to join in for a series of “That’s How You Heisman” polls, quizzes and challenges on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram.

The initial spot for the campaign is titled “That’s How You Heisman” where Tebow shows Young around, as other Heisman veterans engage in competitions: Henry and Palmer pushing sleds through the hall; Sanders and Murray in a college painting duel; Howard and Mayfield playing cards, and much more.

The “That’s How You Heisman” spot highlights the 2023 Nissan Ariya, with Young arriving to the house in the all-electric crossover. The all-new Ariya also is featured in the “Generation Gap” spot where Coach Spurrier needs guidance on how to charge the Ariya, and Smith and Young are equally unsure of a ‘connected’ phone.
The Heisman House ads will run on TV across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FOX, FS1, CBS, CBS Sports Network and during Monday Night Football on ESPN. More content will be available on Nissan and ESPN digital channels, including behind-the-scenes footage and bloopers from the shoot.

An all-new virtual Nissan Heisman House world

Additionally for the first time the Nissan Heisman House offers fans the opportunity to access exclusive NFTs (Tokens) featuring distinctive artwork of Heisman greats highlighted in this year's campaign. Nissan is making these Tokens available to fans at no charge, and a few lucky fans will get to unlock virtual experiences with Heisman winners and receive a custom avatar Token. Details including Token drop dates will be available at TheHeismanHouse.com and CAMPUS.io in the fall.

Nissan adds a seventh HBCU to its college portfolio

Nissan is expanding its reach with the addition of Jackson State University, a HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Other HBCUs in Nissan’s college portfolio are Grambling State University, Hampton University, Howard University, North Carolina A&T State University, Southern University and A&M College, and Tennessee State University (TSU).

Each year the Nissan Heisman House Tour, featuring a simulated Heisman House, travels to different college campuses throughout the U.S. The tour gives fans a chance to enjoy Heisman House living, take photos with the trophy and meet Heisman winners. This year, the tour will include a stop at Jackson State as part of the new relationship with the college. It will visit 11 college campuses in total.