Nissan’s “Ride for Your LIfe” Employs Some Creative Prankvertising

For some perverse reason, there are few things more satisfying than seeing someone genuinely react to a prank. Whether the person’s reaction is stress-induced or evoked by pure adrenaline, there’s something oddly enticing about being a spectator. It comes as no surprise to see that companies have capitalized on this exact concept in their advertising campaigns. The setup is always the same: an unwitting consumer agrees to try a product – which is fake or altered – and the company reveals the truth at the end.

The intention of the campaign varies. Perhaps a company wants to correct a misconception; or it may want to get consumers to try its products they may not have otherwise. This setup and swerve has been designated with the name of “Prankvertising.”

Photo: Yahoo! Autos

Nissan recently launched its “Ride for Your Life” campaign. It took off-the-street participants to ride with a professional driver in an Altima race car; however, it turns out that the car is actually a standard Altima, which was merely cosmetically enhanced. The mechanical specifications of the vehicle are exactly the same as one you could buy off of the lot. Each participant was taken on hot laps around the Willow Springs Raceway in California.

We cannot exactly blame them for their reactions. The Nissan Altima houses a V-6 engine that cranks out 270 horsepower and can reach 60 MPH in six seconds. In other words, this car is not some sloth.

Watch the reactions as people take a ride in a standard Altima, as well as their momentary incredulity after the reveal. So take a break from your afternoon workload to enjoy the video, and make sure you stop down at Leith Nissan in Cary to speak with one of our knowledgeable brand specialists. We are excited to demonstrate why our beautiful lineup should be on your list of priorities.