• Newcomers to the campaign include 2017 Heisman winner Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) and Auburn legend Bo Jackson (1985)
  • Season’s first TV ad, “ Calling All Heismans ”, airs Aug. 30 on ESPN; Nissan Heisman House website is live now
  • New this season is a series of animated GIFs of each Heisman Trophy winner for fans to easily share socially and via text
  • Nissan “fan vote” for the Heisman Trophy winner continues for 12 th straight year
  • Nissan fans have accurately predicted the winner 10 of past 11 years
  • Heisman House campaign supports Nissan's now 13-year sponsorship of the Heisman Memorial Trophy Award and the Heisman Trophy Trust

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma, 2017), Bo Jackson (Auburn, 1985) and Gino Torretta (Miami, 1992) are the three newest recruits to the 2018 Nissan Heisman House, a fictional fraternity that provides fans a glimpse of what it might be like if the winners of college football's highest individual honor lived together under one roof.

Now in its eighth year, the 2018 Nissan Heisman House campaign features 10 Heisman Trophy winners in a series of TV spots airing on ESPN beginning Aug. 30 and running throughout the college football season. The season’s opening spot, “ Calling All Heismans ,” premieres tonight during the college football season opener, Purdue vs. Northwestern, 8:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

"The Heisman House campaign has proven to be a tremendous opportunity for Nissan to creatively feature our robust vehicle lineup and innovative technology in front of the massive audience that is college football fans," said Jeremy Tucker, vice president, marketing communications and media, Nissan North America, Inc. “This year, with a strong ad focus on Nissan Intelligent Mobility and our TITAN pickup – featuring America's Best Truck Warranty 1 – we’re taking the campaign to new heights with one of our most star-studded casts ever.”

Returning Heisman House members are Herschel Walker (Georgia, 1982), Mike Rozier (Nebraska, 1983), Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State, 1988), Charles Woodson (Michigan, 1997), Tim Tebow (Florida, 2007), Marcus Mariota (Oregon, 2014) and Derrick Henry (Alabama, 2015).

This year's campaign includes seven 45-second spots and five 15-second spots featuring the all-new 2019 Nissan Altima , GT-R, all-new Kicks , Rogue and Nissan TITAN. Nissan Intelligent Mobility is also a major focus of this year’s campaign. Highlights include:

Calling All Heismans (45 seconds, to debut on Aug. 30): Charles Woodson leads the charge in “Calling All Heismans” to this year’s campaign.

Baker Mayfield Sandwich (15 seconds, to debut in Sept.): Baker Mayfield plants a flag to claim his food in the Heisman House kitchen.

BOard Games (15 seconds, to debut in Oct.): Bo Jackson’s all-around skills are put to the test in the world of board games. Is there any game he can’t master?

Something for Everyone: GIFs, fan votes, giveaways and the Heisman Mobile Tour New this season, animated GIFs of each Heisman winner have been created to be easily shared socially and via text message. Fans can download them at NissanHeismanHouse.com .

For the 12 th straight year, Nissan will provide college football fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite Heisman Trophy candidates. Nissan’s fan vote – the voice of the public – is cast along with other Heisman voters from sports journalists and previous Heisman winners. This year, fans can vote through Twitter or at NissanHeismanHouse.com via their mobile devices.

“The fan vote is something Nissan is particularly proud of because it gives fans a voice in a space that otherwise is completely closed to the public,” added Tucker. “And via this vote, fans have proven to know their college football – the fan vote winner has gone on to win the Heisman Trophy in 10 of the 11 years of its existence.”

Nissan also announced two sweepstakes (click here for official rules) to complement the 2018 Heisman House campaign, including one that offers a chance for a member of the public to win two tickets to attend the exclusive Heisman Trophy Award Ceremony in New York on Dec. 8 – the only way in which to do so. Fans also can enter to win a customized Nissan TITAN. Last year, nearly 1-million consumers used the configurator on NissanUSA.com to customize a TITAN in their favorite school colors.

As in previous years, the Nissan Heisman House Tour, featuring a simulated Heisman House, will travel to different college campuses throughout the U.S. The Tour provides fans an opportunity to enjoy the Heisman House living room, take photos with the trophy, and meet Heisman Trophy winners as well as ESPN on-air talent.

The tour's first stop is South Bend, Ind., for the Michigan vs. Notre Dame matchup Saturday, Sept. 1. Former running back Ricky Watters, a member of Notre Dame’s 1988 national championship team, will appear from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. EDT, participating in both a chalk talk session with ESPN anchor Neil Everett and an autograph session with fans. 1987 Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Brown, who became the seventh player from Notre Dame to win the Heisman Trophy, will then appear from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. EDT., participating in both a chalk talk session with Everett and an autograph session with fans.

Fans can follow all things Nissan Heisman House throughout the season via the online platform, NissanHeismanHouse.com . For information on the entire Nissan lineup, visit NissanNews.com . 

About Nissan North America   In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at  www.nissanusa.com  and  www.infinitiusa.com , or visit the U.S. media sites  nissannews.com  and  infinitinews.com .

About Nissan Motor Co.  Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at  http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/ .

About ESPN   ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment company, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

About the Heisman Trophy Trust  The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player in the United States. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award. The Trust, furthermore, has a charitable mission to support amateur athletes and to provide greater opportunities to the youth of our country. Our goal through these charitable endeavors is for The Heisman Trophy to symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or afflicted.

Media Contacts: Kevin Raftery Nissan Brand Communications 615-981-9870 kevin.raftery@nissan-usa.com

Amy Phillips ESPN 646-547-5614 amy.phillips@espn.com

  1. Claim based on years/mileage (whichever occurs first) covered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty basic coverage. Ward's in-market Large Pickup Segmentation and Small Pickup Segmentation v. 2018 TITAN and TITAN XD. Nissan's New Vehicle Limited Warranty basic coverage excludes tires, corrosion coverage and federal and California emission performance and defect coverage. Other terms and conditions also apply. See dealer for complete warranty details. Warranty claim is current at time of printing.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...d4ced18274 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...58dc49f9d7