• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

While Nissan’s past Heisman-focused campaigns have focused on hijinks and had more of a comedic bend, this year’s effort — its 16th annual campaign — is heavy on product.

The campaign, from Nissan United, Omnicom's dedicated Nissan creative and media agency, arrives when the company is striving for sales like never before.

At the brand’s NADA Show meeting earlier this year, Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier outlined an ambitious longer-term goal: reaching 1 million U.S. sales by the end of 2027.

The brand recently lost its longtime CMO, Allyson Witherspoon, who exited to head marketing at General Motors' Buick-GMC division. Her boss, Tiago Castro, senior vice president, U.S. marketing and sales for Nissan and Infiniti, explains the thinking behind the creative. 

“We took a new approach to this year’s Heisman campaign, but one thing is unchanged: These spots reflect Nissan’s passion for going the extra mile and matching the drive of America’s favorite athletes,” Castro says in a release. “Just like Heisman winners on the field, Nissan’s competitive spirit drives us to win customer hearts with high quality products, outstanding customer experience and engaging communication.”

This effort centers on long-form video on YouTube with 30-second extensions on TV during games.

The new episodic series features Heisman legends competing to be Nissan's top spokesperson, spotlighting the Nissan lineup through dynamic, character-driven storytelling that celebrates Nissan's relentless pursuit of performance and innovation.

The 60-second official trailer lays out the premise of the creative: the competition.

Three additional trailers tease the full campaign, including one focusing on Tim Tebow, one with a documentary feel and a third spot with a thriller feel. 

The first YouTube episode, at just under three minutes, focuses on “Derrick's parking spot.” 

The campaign kicks off with 30-second TV commercials during Week 1 of college football on September 4. Commercials will air all season long on ABC, ESPN, Fox, NBC and Amazon Thursday Night Football.

The 2026 campaign features the Nissan Rogue Platinum, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and the all-new 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid. 

In addition to Tebow, the 2026 Nissan Heisman campaign stars other Heisman Trophy winners including Travis Hunter, Derrick Henry, Eddie George, Barry Sanders and Jim Plunkett.

This year, the campaign also adds the newest Heisman Trophy winner and 2026 No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, who makes his debut later in the season alongside the all-new 2027 Nissan Rogue Hybrid.