• by Karl Greenberg , December 20, 2013

Okay, maybe it's ironic, but the guy who helmed "The Italian Job" movie -- which features Mini Cooper, and which Mini actually sponsored as part of a product integration -- is directing a pair of cinematic TV spots for Nissan Rogue, via the Los Angeles office of TBWA\Chiat\Day. The spot, set to Sete's  “Y.A.L.A.”, uses the director's action-movie stylistics for a Walter Mitty-esque (no relation to the movie, which Jeep is involved in) theme. A man drives a carpooling group, which goes rogue, so to speak, as he takes off full bore -- jumping a ramp onto a commuter train among other things -- and gets to work early.

The new ad -- actually the second -- goes live Dec. 20 in cinema and hits TV on Dec. 22. The first ad started earlier this month. Both will also be on a big screen in New York's Times Square through January, running across five major buildings, per Nissan. The Rogue itself will be showcased on animated billboards on the same media on New Year's Eve during the countdown to midnight. The digital billboards will also run video assets carrying the same adrenalin theme. The creative will be refreshed and run throughout January, along with other elements, per Nissan.

“Through using a great feature film director and a brand-new exciting track hot off M.I.A’s album, we start to tell the exciting story around the Rogue and its bold yet versatile driving experience,” said Rob Schwartz, global creative president, TBWA\Worldwide, New York, in a statement.

Nissan's sales should have low-end torque right off the block as the car is launching in a strong market. The automaker saw a 10.7% increase in sales versus the month last year, with the automaker's eponymous division setting a November record. The late-model Rogue bested last year's run year-to-date through November by over 13%, even though last month's sales dropped 17.2% as the late model got sold down, and retailers switched the old model for the new. J.D. Power predicts December will be a firecracker end to a strong year, with $34 billion spent on new vehicles in the U.S. If the firm is correct, it will be a historic high.  

The firm sees December sales at 1.134 million in the U.S. for the month, a 4% increase from last year, with retail transaction prices — what people actually pay, with incentives and rebates figured in — reaching $30,500, up $500 (2%) from a year ago.

“Strong consumer demand in December is the culmination of another strong year for the automotive industry,” said John Humphrey, senior vice president of the global automotive practice at J.D. Power. “Retail sales in 2013 are expected to reach 12.8 million, with consumer spending reaching a record $375 billion, a $40 billion increase from 2012.”

Jeff Schuster, SVP of forecasting at J.D. Power unit LMC Auto, said the budget deal is still having a beneficent influence on consumer confidence. “December sales faced some challenge early in the month, with some sales that pulled ahead in November and winter storms, they have rebounded well, and the year ahead is set up to edge new-vehicle sales closer to pre-recession levels,” he said, in a statement.