Automotive News - May 19, 2008 - (Page N30)

N30 • MAY 19, 2008 NISSAN’S Years in America He wears sandals and shorts and loves surfing — just the advertising mind that Nissan needed to craft an edgy image. L ee Clow’s persona is surfer-dude-does-Madison Avenue. But don’t let the sandals, shorts and surfboard divert you. The persona cloaks a creative marketing mind that has delivered some of the most memorable advertising in modern culture. As Nissan’s longtime advertising creative leader, Clow, 64, is the force behind pivotal marketing campaigns such as “Built for the Human Race,” “Enjoy the Ride” and “Shift.” His work solidified Nissan’s brand image as sportier and edgier than Toyota and Honda. “Lee would walk into meetings in sandals and shorts, surfboard under his arm,” says Joe Opre, who worked at Datsun-Nissan from 1971 to 1997, including jobs as general manager and director of advertising and sales promotion. “He was this smart guy who looked like a homeless person,” Opre says. “But he talked marketing, not LEE CLOW Earliest Nissan involvement: 1987 Role: Chief creative officer of Nissan’s advertising agency Key influence: Devised creative advertising that differentiated Nissan from Japanese competitors Toyota and Honda creative. All of his recommendations, no matter how wild they sounded, had firmly grounded reasons behind them.” Japanese renegade Clow’s era at Nissan began in August 1987 when his agency, Chiat/Day, won the account. Clow describes Nissan as the “renegade Japanese brand.” He plumbed Nissan’s image in part by 2004 working closely with Jerry Hirshberg, the Titan automaker’s chief designer in California. pickup “His designers and our creative people hung out together to internalize and get at With the Titan, Nissan finally the soul of the company,” Clow says. had an answer “Built for the Human Race,” Clow’s first 3’s to the Detroit campaign for Nissan in 1987, was profitable “crucial,” says Rob Schwartz, executive up full-sized pick creative director of TBWA/Chiat/Day in the trucks. But Los Angeles, a unit of TBWA Worldwide. Titan failed “Built for the Human Race,” Schwartz les to meet sa says, “said a Japanese product can be . expectations emotional. Toyota was relentlessly selling on quality. Honda was selling on smart features. What parking space is open (for Nissan)? A more human approach.” It was Clow, Schwartz says, who immediately saw the potential of Nissan’s 2002 “Shift” marketing campaign. “We were in Lee’s booth at Chaya Venice (restaurant),” Schwartz says. “I showed him about 50 (tag) lines. He is looking and looking, sipping his merlot. He has his pencil out. He always works with a pencil. He stops at one and circles it. ‘This “Shift” thing is really powerful,’ he says. He went off on the potential of it.” Stay on the edge In 1999 Clow became chairman and chief creative officer of TBWA Worldwide. He was named TBWA Worldwide global director of media arts in December 2007. In the future, Clow wants Nissan to stay on the edge: “People who drive Nissan are not quite the sheep that buy Toyota.” — Mary Connelly ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 50 DIANE ALLEN Role: Designer, Nissan Design America Key influence: Helped restore bold design to Nissan after Carlos Ghosn’s ascendance; led team that designed the Nissan 350Z and Titan full-sized pickup JERRY BENEFIELD Role: CEO, Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corp. U.S.A. Key influence: Ran efficient U.S. factories that churned out high-quality cars and trucks for Americans increasingly disenchanted with vehicles from Detroit DOUG BETTS Role: Senior vice president for total customer satisfaction Key influence: Created factory quality programs to restore Nissan’s image after it was stung by glitches in its minivans JED CONNELLY Role: Senior vice president for sales and marketing, North America Key influence: Headed sales and marketing after alliance with Renault in 1999, helping bring key new products to Nissan and Infiniti WILLIAM CUSHING Role: Sales manager, San Francisco region Key influence: Signed up early dealers, dualing Datsun with Volvo to identify Datsuns as imports From Pages N1 to N32, this special section on Nissan’s 50th anniversary in America profiles 24 of Nissan’s top 50 people. Here are the rest of the 50. To see profiles of all 50, go to www.autonews.com/nissan50 career at Chrysler, King strengthened Nissan’s dealership network and tripled U.S. sales. YUTAKA KUME Role: Nissan president, 1985-92 Key influence: Launched Infiniti in uphill battle against bureaucracy RAY LEMKE Role: First Datsun dealer in the United States Key influence: In Datsun’s early U.S. days, Lemke showed other risktaking dealers that they could make good with the little-known Japanese brand. CHESTER LUBY Role: Exclusive Datsun distributor for eastern United States Key influence: Helped build early Datsun dealership network TIM MACCARTHY Role: Vice president for government affairs, Nissan North America Key influence: Demonstrated how an import-brand automaker could stand up for its own interests in Washington and not appear “unAmerican” RICHARD MCCUTCHEON Role: Bought first Datsun pickup truck sold in the United States Key influence: The first in a wave of American buyers to discover the advantages of an inexpensive and durable Nissan pickup TOM MIGNANELLI Role: Nissan sales operation’s first American president, 1990-93 Key influence: Invigorated sales by listening to customers and dealers JANE NAKAGAWA Role: Advanced product planner Key influence: Led Nissan’s effort to read customers’ needs with sociologists, anthropologists and unconventional thinkers SHIRO NAKAMURA Role: Design director, Nissan Motor Co. Key influence: Developed important design trends for Nissan and Infiniti brands after Renault and Carlos Ghosn took over Nissan ATSUSHI “PETE” NAKATSUJI Role: Manager of product planning, Nissan Motor Co. Key influence: Worked with Ford Motor to jointly develop the Nissan Quest and Mercury Villager minivans. The project pushed Nissan to set up a full-scale technical center in the United States and expand local r&d. JOE OPRE Role: Director, advertising and sales promotion Key influence: Handled DatsunNissan name change and Infiniti’s “Rocks and Trees” campaign PATRICK PELATA Role: Executive vice president for product development in Tokyo Key influence: Opened the valves for new U.S. products during Carlos Ghosn’s revival DICK ROBERTS Role: Head of Datsun Competition Department Key influence: Created Datsun’s racer-friendly cachet LOUIS SCHWEITZER Role: Chairman, Renault SA Key influence: His vision of an alliance between Renault and Nissan allowed each to retain its corporate and cultural identity. That spared Nissan the corporate tensions and rivalries that soured the DaimlerChrysler marriage. “MAD MIKE” TAYLOR Role: Longtime enthusiast and Z Club official Key influence: Lobbied company officials to bring back the Z car after Nissan killed it in 1996 MITSUHIKO YAMASHITA Role: Executive vice president of r&d, Nissan Motor Co. Key influence: Helped set up Nissan Technical Center North America in the late 1980s and led the r&d center during the company’s revival in 2002-04 LARRY DOMINIQUE Role: Vice president, North American product planning Key influence: Oversaw Nissan’s entry into big American pickups EMIL HASSAN Role: Senior vice president, North American manufacturing, purchasing, quality, logistics Key influence: Gave Nissan a flexible, low-cost pickup truck plant where it could operate with small volumes in a market jealously guarded by the Detroit 3 DAVE HUBBARD Role: Infiniti’s advertising manager during the “Rocks and Trees” campaign Key influence: Backed the ad campaign that is still cited as the wrong way to launch an auto brand MARK IGO Role: General manager, Infiniti Division Key influence: Guided Infiniti dealers through brand’s shift to rear-drive performance models YOSHIYUKI KIMURA Role: Chief engineer, VQ series of engines Key influence: Designed Nissan’s stellar VQ engine CHUCK KING Role: Head of sales and marketing Key influence: Taking lessons from a http://www.autonews.com/nissan50

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Automotive News - May 19, 2008 Ford eyes smaller F-150 cousin Sonic: Mercedes tries to 'extort' store upgrades Chrysler seeks 25% slash in parts prices Dealership managers pushed Chrysler's latest incentive Crain names 4 new VPs Automotive News staffers win Wheel Awards GM will keep cutting sales to fleets GM studies the future of full-sized trucks American Axle plans to expand in Asia At Lexus, the sales laggards are cars VW positions Tiguan as 'GTI' of small SUVs Tata enters race for 100-mpg car Harley Earl was the daddy of auto design Focus will follow Fiesta as a global vehicle Lexus shows how it sweats details Industry slows tide of state CO2 rules Chevy tweaks Cobalt to add fuel economy Be careful; don't do anything dumb Looking ahead to different industry They thought they knew everything Cerberus doesn't belong in autos Dealers as scapegoats Smart, steady growth works best for suppliers Farley's smart to value Ford's heritage Absurd logic in the U.S., cowardice in Germany BMW, Daimler keep a wary eye on U.S. economy James Franey Dealers' approach can lessen pain of staff cuts GM plans to distinguish Opel with image makeover Make or buy? Software can estimate costs for company Honda, Toyota see robots in their futures Bosch aims to lead in hybrids technology King of hearts Clarke aims to get GM back on track in N.A. Fields navigates Ford through 'white water' LaSorda steers Chrysler's global ventures Toyota's Lentz: A crash course in hard times Truck sales fall 13% in April Modine sells Thermacore unit Alcoa to close Mexico plant Toyoda Gosei expands in Mexico Hayes Lemmerz plans to close Georgia factory Japan's sales slide 2% in 1st quarter; output climbs Dealers Hyundai let U.S. direct Sonata freshening After .com and .edu, is it time for .car? Panoramic sunroof of Lincoln MKS boosts Inalfa sales Chrysler hedged gas price bet Smart phones help dealerships retain customers CAW completes pacts with GM, Chrysler early GM, UAW resolve 2 disputes New media buyer for Chrysler Visteon names Stebbins CEO Convertible registrations drop Ferrari: From denial to debut Buildings Porsches in U.S.? Depends whom you ask Toyota will go slow in Tupelo Ghosn is glum on prices, U.S. sales prospects Pischetsrieder has earned a celebratory cigar NHTSA spins VINs, averts meltdown F_RD GU_S WI_ BUI-_KS 50 PEOPLE FOR 50 YEARS Yutaka Katayama Clarence Talley Jim Morton Pete Brock Marvin Runyon Yoshikazu Hanawa Bill Bruce Shin Maki Jack Collins Mitsuya "Scape" Goto Bob Link Soichi Kawazoe Jerry Hirshberg Takashi Ishihara Roy Rogers John Parker Bob Thomas Teruo Uchino Morrie Sage Bob Thomas Nobe Wakatsuki Earl Hesterberg Carlos Ghosn Lee Clow Jerry Benefield Yutaka Kume Doug Betts Tim McCarthy Jed Connelly Atsushi Nakatsuji Dave Hubbard Joe Opre Patrick Pelata Yoshiyuki Kimura Diane Allen Mad Mike Taylor Chuck King Larry Dominique Mark Igo Mitsuhiko Yamashita Shiro Nakamura Tom Mignanelli Dick Roberts William Cushing Emil Hassan Chester Luby Jane Nakagawa Louis Schweitzer MR. K Ray Lemke Richard McCutcheon

Automotive News - May 19, 2008

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