• by Tanya Gazdik , August 31, 2016

Nissan is once again partnering with ESPN to introduce the latest Heisman House cast.

A one-take 90-second video titled “Welcome to the House” features newbie Derrick Henry flying his drone through the house catching the other Heisman winners in unguarded moments.

Besides Henry, additions to the fictional fraternity this year include Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel. They join returning House members: Marcus Mariota, Mark Ingram, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Tim Brown, Tony Dorsett, Eddie George, Charlie Ward, Doug Flutie, George Rogers, and Herschel Walker.

The Nissan Heisman House campaign supports Nissan’s now 11-year sponsorship of the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award and the Heisman Trophy Trust, a charitable organization focused on outreach to the underprivileged and underserved.

“Each year we take our partnership with the Heisman Trust’s outstanding charity efforts to a new level, and we continue to enjoy the opportunity to entertain fans with our Heisman House campaign,” said Jeremy Tucker, vice president, marketing communications and media, Nissan North America, Inc., in a release. “This year’s great cast of roommates will not disappoint and there are a number of surprises in store as we let them loose to showcase their talents, both as the top football players of their eras and as winning performers and media personalities today.”

Now in its sixth year, the Nissan Heisman House campaign breaks Sept. 1 and runs through the season. It gives  fans a glimpse of what it might be like if the winners of football’s highest individual honor, the Heisman Trophy, lived together under one roof. 

The 2016 campaign includes four 45-second spots and five 15-second spots. Eight Nissan vehicles will be featured most prominently throughout the campaign, including the Rogue, Titan and Armada, which are part of Nissan’s “Year of the Truck” focus. The campaign was developed in collaboration with TBWA\Chiat\Day, OMD and ESPN's in-house creative team CreativeWorks.

In the 45-second “Go Deep,’ Flutie re-lives one of the greatest college football plays of all time: The Hail Flutie. In the 15-second “Rook,” Ward takes Heisman House rookie Henry through a driveway filled with current and classic Nissan and Datsun vehicles. Amidst his amazement, Henry realizes that he has some cleaning to do, taking over for last year’s newcomer, Mariota. In the 15-second “The Derrick Henry Effect,” Ingram demonstrates how people shrink next to Henry.

The 45-second “Tebow’s Dream,” which debuts Sept. 1, features Tebow creating a new musical genre with fellow Gator Wuerffel. “Starter House,” also 45 seconds, debuts Sept. 3 and features Ingram schooling his schoolmate, Henry, on where the new Heisman winners stay: a tiny Heisman House.

At NissanHeismanHouse.com, fans can cast their votes for the next Heisman Trophy winner, watch for upcoming game-day stops of the Heisman House Tour, and see behind-the-scenes footage filmed during the campaign production.

This year’s effort also features social media efforts, including weekly thumb wars of high profile match-ups narrated by SportsCenter anchor, Neil Everett, and other content relevant to college football fans. The campaign also features print and radio.

The Nissan Heisman House Tour features a simulated Heisman House that will travel to different college campuses throughout the U.S. leading up to the College Football Playoff National Championship in January. The Tour provides fans an opportunity to enjoy the Heisman House living room, take photos with the Trophy, and meet Heisman Trophy winners as well as ESPN on-air talent. The tour’s first stop is on Sunday, Sept. 4 for the Notre Dame versus Texas game at DKR Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.