Nissan ARIYA Creates a Dynamic Shodo Japanese Animation

Nissan ARIYA Creates a Dynamic Shodo Japanese Animation

Published: December 06, 2022

Dark Horses, a marketing agency from England, assisted Nissan in its continued strategy of applying the Formula E team’s advanced technology, setting itself apart as a reputable manufacturer of all-electric vehicles the likes of Nissan ARIYA, the star of their latest ad campaign.

Nissan ARYA, the biggest attraction of the recent campaign, is seen in the 60-second spot accelerating down the road after a checkup with the Formula E team. The spot perfectly expresses the thrill of driving around in an electric car relying on e-4ORCE technology, an all-wheel drive control system that delivers greater torque and superior control.

The Formula E team fit a camera to the vehicle before the driver sat down behind the wheel, taking the car out from a hangar and into an open airfield. Along the runway, ARIYA itself acted as a camera, creating traditional zoetrope animation in real life as it accelerated.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Nissan (@nissan)

The aim was to show how smooth and electric ARIYA’s acceleration is, and the team behind the project succeeded admirably. With respect to Nissan’s Japanese heritage, ARIYA captured an animation that emulated the art of Shodo calligraphy. The campaign achieves its goal of electricizing the viewer and allowing them to feel like they’re sitting behind the wheel of the powerful ARIYA, creating art as they go.

The brand campaign is just one part of the broader work Dark Horses agency is doing for Nisan Global Sports at large, including Formula E, soccer and other sports properties.

“Creating a gigantic, larger-than-life zoetrope was way more intricate and complex than my GCSE-level Math's could handle,” said Steve Howell, executive creative director at Dark Horses. “Thankfully we had some brilliant production partners with massive brains that could not only do all the hard thinking behind the scenes but also bring the idea to life in a way that surpassed all expectations. To finally see the animation spring to life from the 3x2 meter illustrated boards into a moving image was a brilliant moment.”

Dark Horses and Nissan’s latest work is available on social media and several other digital channels.

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