Nissan wanted to take consumers for a ride. Not that kind of ride, but one that would introduce them to a whole new world of innovation. The starting line was Nissan’s year-round brand centre in London’s iconic O2. The finish line was influencing the consumer’s purchase decisions.

The Nissan Innovation Station had one purpose – to become an impactful installation that showcased Nissan’s innovations in an experiential way, whilst showcasing Nissan’s innovations and brand ethos, “Innovation that Excites.” To get consumers on the right track, we designed interactions from a virtual test-drive of Nissan’s electric vehicle, the LEAF, to testing their stamina against Nissan Motorsports athletes in a simulated Nissan Motorsports Training Lab.

Other notable features included interactive quizzes, photo booths, and design-your-own car apps – all designed to be shared with a wider audience via social media thanks to the numerous content generation opportunities and RFID that was integrated into the journey.

The Nissan immersive experience is situated towards the back of The O2, and research indicated that we needed to do a better job of drawing people to the Nissan exhibit area. First, we constructed a highly visible 4m high seating area in the main O2 walkway. We also added light and moving projection to the IS entrance area, with content featuring a mixture of brand films and IS user-generated content to help “push” visitors to Nissan.

We needed to create a meaningful experience for the brand, and the consumer. The Nissan LEAF rolling road experience was a design first. We worked with LEAF engineers in Japan to enable drivers to experience real movement in a safe way, and to link the immersive window projection to the speed of the car. The virtual test-drive was designed to allow drivers to steer, accelerate, break and choose different routes through the projected environment.

The space was designed for freedom of movement (accessibility) with a strong focus on technology (innovation). RFID wristband technology enabled visitors to share their experience on Facebook and multiple screens allowed people to play digital games, test their skills and learn more about Nissan – all in a personalised way.

The exhibit had to be the right balance of story and ideas, innovation and experience, as well as excitement and understanding – all in a relatable way.

The Nissan LEAF virtual test-drive uses a rolling road to ensure drivers feel the surge of movement while remaining static, and the wrap around 3D window projection totally immerses them into the experience. The NISMO performance lab enables visitors to test their stamina in a genuine NISMO training facility. And in recognition of Nissan’s partnership with the British Paralympic Association, visitors can try wheelchair racing against a 3D version of British No. 1 Richard Chiassaro.

The IS uses RFID technology to enable visitors to record their journey around the space and share on social media. Along with physical challenges, visitors can test their knowledge via the multi-person interactive quiz and create a keepsake in the photo booth.

The space encourages visitors to explore – and enjoy the interactions as either a participant or spectator. Products are positioned centrally to ensure maximum exposure.

In 2014 there were 168k visitors, 41k database sign-ups, 28k virtual test-drives and nearly 3k actual test-drives. Over 15k people entered the NISMO Lab and 128k engaged with the IS on Facebook.