• by Tanya Gazdik , August 31, 2023

College football is back, and so are the player hijinks at the Nissan Heisman House for a 13th year.

New this year is a partnership with Zillow for a digital expansion.

The first two of eight total spots from TBWA’s Nissan United agency break today on ESPN and continue across ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC as well as online at Nissan’s website. 

Nissan is giving the Heisman House the reality-show treatment, providing an exclusive look inside at what goes on when the cameras aren’t rolling. 

Through the partnership with Zillow, fans can take a virtual tour and browse photos starting here on Sept. 1 via a home listing on the real estate website.

Nissan is often asked if the house is “real,” says Marisstella Marinkovic, vice president and chief marketing officer, Nissan U.S.

“The  partnership with Zillow was one of the things that we were talking about early on,” Marinkovic tells Marketing Daily. “So how do we bring this awesome platform for looking at homes and the Heisman House together -- one of the most popular places to go -- when obviously we can't all go there? How do we bring that to our fans? So the Zillow partnership was one way for us to do just that.”

The campaign’s digital extension also includes influencer Caleb Simpson, known for his tours of real people’s homes and apartments on TikTok and Instagram. He will take viewers on a visit around the House with the help of a few of the Heisman winners and mascots. 

Fans have a a new way to get closer to the action with an all-access NFT pass that unlocks exclusive Heisman content and experience, available free of charge at TheHeismanHouse.com or onsite at a Heisman House Tour stop later this fall.

“We did NFTs last year, and we're continuing to utilize NFTs,” Marinkovic says. “It's part of the Nissan customer experience. You get this free NFT and it unlocks all these things for you and you're part of the family. So we think of NFTs as more of a utility play versus other uses [for an] NFT.”

The 45-second “Is It Real?” focuses on USC sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and the newest member of the house. “Covering the Spread” features Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Spots airing beginning Sept. 28 include “Too Helpful” and “Bath Day.” Two more spots break Oct. 19, “Endorsing” and “Florida Man.” Finally, rounding out the season, breaking Nov. 9 are “Missing Out” and “No Hands.”

Besides the Heisman House winners, the effort features several vehicles including Frontier, Rogue, Sentra, the 2024 Nissan Z Nismo1 and the Nissan Ariya electric SUV.

“I think we've done a really great job of connecting all the dots from a media plan perspective,” Marinkovic says. “Now it's just about amplifying certain areas and connecting with our excited fans along the way.”