TBWA\Melbourne and Nissan Australia turned 7.7 million square kilometres of some of the toughest landscape on Earth into the playground for a treasure hunt. The prize was a Nissan Patrol – and it was hidden out there. Whoever found it, kept it.
At its core, the campaign celebrated Australia’s off-road culture, underlying the car’s promise – “built for family adventures in every way”. The 4×4 communities who camp under stars and see the outback as a proving ground became the heartbeat of the story. Real enthusiasts had to bring raw emotion, grit, authenticity, and brand affinity no scripted film could match. And that was all part of an integrated campaign, that kicked off with a hunt and culminated in a 30 second TV spot.
Stephanie Gwee, creative director, TBWA\Melbourne, stated, “Hiding a Patrol in the outback wasn’t just a stunt and it wasn’t just advertising. It was a way to show that this vehicle belongs to the land and the people who take it on. This campaign was about celebrating that spirit and inviting even more Australians into the story.”
Bilgen Tug, director brand and customer experience, Nissan, added, “Leveraging Patrol’s long history in Australia, we sought to intrigue Australia’s 4×4 communities and adventurers at heart. To do so, we celebrated how a Nissan Patrol can give anyone the opportunity to explore all that the Australian landscape has to offer and captured those moments in an authentic way.
“Every moment of the hunt was designed to bring the Patrol’s DNA to life, the thrill of exploration and discovery. This was a cultural statement, the Nissan Patrol is not simply a vehicle to drive, but one that challenges Australians to get ‘out there’.”
The experience began online, with cryptic clues from Oscar Pearce, Australia’s leading geolocator, and GeoGuessr World Cup representative. His clues demanded more than quick thinking, they challenged participants to study soil composition, trace tree lines and even read the angle of light across ridges.
The campaign ran across platforms and media partner CarExpert.com.au dropped the first clue, sparking conversation across 4×4 forums. More than 1,000 Australians featured in video entries, all eager to prove their off-road skills and adventurous spirit in the live hunt. Five teams were flown into South Australia’s Bendleby Ranges, a fifth generation working sheep station with more than 200 kilometres of 4WD tracks.
What followed was a feat of production as ambitious as the idea itself by TBWA\Melbourne, Nissan Australia, Revolver and Glue Society. Safety protocols and off-road access at this scale pushed the limits of planning and execution.
Director, Jonathan Kneebone, Glue Society, commented, “The idea of hiding a Nissan Patrol in the middle of the Australian outback and allowing people to test their detective and driving skills to find it was something we couldn’t resist being part of.
“It sounds simple, but as productions go, it was beyond what we’d ever attempted. Wild weather events, extraordinary remoteness and lack of infrastructure aside, the reward was in making the seemingly impossible happen. It bought out the real adventurer in all of us, just like the Patrol itself.”
The five finalist teams, battled days of punishing terrain, shifting weather and live obstacles, pursuing fresh clues until one winner drove away in the Nissan Patrol. Channel 7’s Sunrise joined the action with live crossovers from the competition’s secret location, bringing the sheer thrill and toughness of the challenge into homes across the country, as well as announcing the winners.
The winning mother and son team, Beth and Travers, were overjoyed about what Travers described as their “life-changing” win and said his first trip would be to visit Beth’s farm with his growing family.
“Finders-keepers with a brand-new Nissan Patrol. Watching the lengths people went to, in order to enter this competition was amazing. It’s a level of engagement with a brand that’s often so hard to achieve. And at the heart of the competition, amongst all the excitement, we also had a brilliant product demonstration, contestants drove Nissan Patrols to find one, in harsh Australian 4WDing conditions,” noted Paul Reardon, chief creative officer, TBWA\Melbourne.
Credits:
Client: Nissan Australia
Director Brand and Customer Experience: Bilgen Tug
Senior Manager Brand, Marketing Communications & Sponsorship: Alison Clancey
Marketing Communications Manager: Sara Grobelna
Creative Agency: TBWA\Melbourne
Chief Creative Officer: Paul Reardon
Creative Director: Stephanie Gwee
Head Producer: Joel Morgan
Producer: Maria Borowski
Head of Planning: Virginia Pracht
Creatives: Scott Canning, Bruce Baldwin, Amy Peden 7 Ryan Doray
BTS & Social Editor: Tom Edney
Specialist Agency: NissanUnited
Client Partner: Cameron Green
Business Director: Jeremiah Espanto
Social Media Manager: Michaela Stevenson
Group Account Director (Media): Rebecca Lloyd
Account Director (Media): Yvette Crimmins
Production Company: Revolver
Director: Glue Society
Managing Director/Co-Owner: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer & Partner: Pip Smart
Executive Producer: Jasmin Helliar
Senior Producer: Serena Paull
DOP: Jordan Maddocks
Post Production: Glue Society Studios
Editor: Luke Crethar
Colourist + Online: Scott Stirling
Sound Production & Music Composition: Rumble Studios
Media Partners: CarExpert & Seven West Media
