Nissan is garnering audience support for its 2015 Leaf vehicle with a participation-driven social media campaign on Twitter and Instagram and a series of online videos on YouTube.

The online videos will aim to showcase the self-cleaning nano-paint technology on a zero-emissions LEAF car, beginning with the launch of ?The Nissan Paint Prank? this week. The car brand hopes to drum up consumer interest by allowing them to vote on materials used in the final set of videos, designed to display the vehicle?s ability to clean itself from a variety of liquids.

?We decided upon social media for this campaign because we are very proud of the enthusiasm and engagement within our LEAF community,? said Scot Cottick, senior manager of social media marketing at Nissan North America, Franklin, TN. ?It is a natural forum for us to share, fun, genuine, and innovative news with our fans.

?We knew they?d appreciate the good natured fun, prank and some hilarity about seeing what would stick.?

Social media push
The ?Guess the Mess? challenge on Nissan?s Instagram account encourages fans to guess which liquid is being poured onto the LEAF vehicle in the first online video. After guessing the mess, consumers can participate in the ?Will it Stick?? Instagram campaign to offer suggestions on what other materials they think should be dumped on the self-cleaning car, ranging from ketchup to eggs.

Beginning next week, Nissan will test fan suggestions by sharing videos on Instagram that depict the chosen liquids on the LEAF. To encourage audience participation, Nissan will ensure that all participants are entered to win a gift card for a complimentary car wash.

When the video series is complete, a compilation of all ?Guess the Mess? and ?Will it Stick?? snippets will be posted on the brand?s YouTube channel and shared on all social media platforms. Consumers can follow the conversation on Instagram via the #WorldsCleanestCar hashtag.

?Nissan views its social media communities as an ongoing dialogue with our fan base ? to include them in our fun is only natural for us!? Mr. Cottick said.

Leveraging YouTube
Nissan will be rolling out the first of the planned video advertisements, ?The Nissan Paint Prank,? on YouTube this week. Filmed in the style of the ?Three Stooges? type of comedy, the video displays expressions of innocent passersby when a crew of painters dumps buckets of paint onto a Nissan LEAF by ?accident.?

As the civilians are informed of the prank, online viewers will be encouraged to participate in another series of videos via the Nissan Instagram page.

Nissan first introduced its LEAF vehicle in April 2014 and is promoting the 2015 version, which is available in three trim levels: LEAF S, SL and SV. The LEAF used in the videos is coated in Ultra-Ever Dry paint that aids in repelling nearly any liquid that comes its way.

The LEAF vehicle is coated in liquid-repelling paint

?Our hope is that our fans view us as a company that isn?t afraid to try new concepts and ideas, especially on a revolutionary product such as the LEAF,? Mr. Cottick said. ?Innovation is at the heart of Nissan?s DNA.

?So we?re always challenging ourselves to solve problems in a new way.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York