Waze and Infiniti direct traffic to women-owned businesses

Dive Brief:

Nissan's luxury car division Infiniti partnered with navigation app Waze to celebrate Women's History Month with a new campaign, dubbed "Pave it Forward," according to an announcement shared with Marketing Dive.
The interactive campaign allows users of Google-owned Waze to view participating women-owned businesses across 14 cities on the app, with selected historical landmarks highlighted on drivers' route. In partnership with Infiniti, Waze users can also make their avatar look like the new 2022 Infiniti QX60 car.
The new tie-up allows both brands to capitalize on chatter around Women's History Month in a creative way while potentially spurring consumer interaction with the brands.

Dive Insight:

The partnership is a creative one for both brands as it connects Infiniti and Waze to a socially conscious celebration throughout March. For Waze, the tie-up may help the navigation app boost loyalty among existing users, as some people may return to the app to discover more women- owned businesses near them. Infiniti may benefit from drumming up awareness of its new vehicle.

Interactive experiences like this one have become a mainstay of advertising in an increasingly online world. From a virtual tour of LeBron James's childhood bedroom to a touchless Cheetos-inspired pop-up, interactive experiences — even digital ones — are now a key way for brands to more deeply interact with consumers. And by incorporating Women's History Month, Infiniti and Waze can capitalize on the increased focus of activism and equity in marketing. Landmarks for the tie-up were selected with the help of the National Women's History Museum.

While "Pave it Forward" is the first time Infiniti and Waze have teamed up, the carmaker's parent company Nissan previously partnered with Waze to highlight scenic landmarks in an August promotion of the Pathfinder vehicle.

Outside of Nissan, Waze is no stranger to brand partnerships. In 2021, the navigation app worked with Kraft Heinz and Burger King to reward Canadian drivers stuck in summer traffic. Drivers moving at the speed of ketchup pouring out of a bottle (0.045 km per hour) triggered an in-app ad for the chain's Impossible Whopper. Some drivers received a code that could be redeemed for a free Impossible Whopper with Heinz ketchup.