Even people who don’t watch racing or even like cars praised this ad.
There are some emotions which far overpower others, and one of those is a father’s feeling towards his children. This is despite the fact fathers go out into the world to make a living, sometimes putting their very life on the line, as well as making other sacrifices. Nissan nailed this perfectly with its 2015 Super Bowl commercial “With Dad.” In fact, the commercial won several awards, and it isn’t hard to see why.
Set to the tune of Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, the “With Dad” song playing during the commercial was sung by none other than Harry Chapin. It sets the perfect tone of drama and simplistic love as you see a father rise through the ranks in the racing world while at the same time fighting to be there for his wife and son.
Struggling to balance work demands with family life is something plenty of people can identify with. That struck a cord with Super Bowl audiences, making this car commercial pretty popular when it debuted.
Of course, it’s also a great opportunity for Nissan to remind everyone of its racing heritage. We see some great cars, including a race-prepped Nissan 370Z and the first appearance of the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO, which ran in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Sadly, the race car was a bit of a flop, but it sure looked great in the commercial.
At the end the dad pulls up in a Nissan Maxima, another big debut which got fans excited. That hasn’t been a roaring sales success, but sedans are out and crossovers are hot, so the Nissan Rogue is the company’s true hero at the moment. And that’s why the Nissan Z-Car has sat in the same generation for so long, pretty much ignored as Nissan is in a period of big change.
