CONCEPT 20-23 LAUNCH

Nissan’s founding principle is ‘Dare to be Different’. The brief for this launch had exactly that energy.

We were engaged to create a ‘money-can’t-buy’ experience for over 100 invited UK and European media representatives and selected influencers, launching the Concept 20-23 in spectacular fashion while honouring two significant Nissan anniversaries. The event also served as the platform for a major global announcement: Nissan’s commitment to transitioning to electric vehicles only, delivered by Global CEO Makoto Uchida.

Nissan’s facilities at NDE and NTC are ordinarily highly secretive. No phones past reception. No public access. No open wifi. Opening both venues to the international press and inviting media to film, photograph, and immerse themselves in the design and manufacturing process was, in itself, remarkable to achieve.

But the centrepiece,  the reveal of the Concept 20-23 on a branded barge on the Paddington canal — was something else entirely. It had never been done before. There was no existing playbook. And from the moment the idea was floated (yes, pun intended), we were committed to making it work.  Because that’s what we do.

This event came with challenges at every level.

The first was time. We had eight weeks to secure council permissions, negotiate with the Canal and Rivers Trust, coordinate a crane barge, a platform barge, a specialist car transportation team, a production company, a lighting team, a crowd control specialist, a dedicated H&S supervisor, and over 25 suppliers in total.  Phew!

The scope expanded almost continuously throughout — additional venues, additional audiences, additional VIP requirements — and every change had to be absorbed without the planning slowing down.

The second was the car. The Concept 20-23 was the only clay model in existence. It was not just rare — it was irreplaceable.  And the first time we were able to actually see it was 6am on the day of the launch.

The third was the location. We were operating in a fully public space in central London — Paddington canal towpath — with no control over public footfall. Every plan had to be built around managing both the guests and the unpredictable public at the same time.

The fourth was the weather.We developed four full variations of the show running order, each calibrated to different combinations of temperature, wind, rain and forecast conditions, with the ability to switch at zero notice. The interior layout of NDE was also designed so it could be reconfigured at the last minute to accommodate the car indoors if needed.

And then there were the security requirements: a highly secure prototype vehicle, the Global CEO of Nissan, a visiting government minister, and multiple private security details to coordinate alongside our own crowd control team.

As dawn was breaking during setup, a resident on a neighbouring barge appeared on the towpath — understandably curious about the unusual commotion outside her window. We were on hand to explain what was happening, and by the time the conversation ended, she was rather pleased to have a front-row seat to history. That’s exactly the kind of on-the-ground judgment this event required at every turn.

The car arrived safely on the barge. The backdrop cleared the bridge. The sun came out. The show ran on time. Guillaume Cartier, MC AMIEO Chairperson of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, delivered his speech, and as he spoke his cue line, the Concept 20-23 glided into position behind him – on the second perfect. There was a collective intake of breath from the crowd on the towpath.

Global CEO Makoto Uchida then took to the stage to announce that Nissan would transition to electric vehicles only, one of the most significant strategic announcements in the company’s recent history, delivered on a sunny Paddington canal towpath with 100 journalists and the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the crowd.

The event generated immediate and significant international coverage: BBC Business News interviewed the CEO; Top Gear, Car Magazine and Nissan Global News all ran the story. The Concept 20-23 was headline news.

Behind the numbers, something else happened. Sam Mercer from Performance Communications described the day as something he still couldn’t quite believe they’d pulled off. Guillaume Cartier emailed the whole team to say the CEO and Alfonso were happy. The Managing Director of Performance Communications forwarded a message from Nissan leadership, ‘well executed and well organised’ — noting that the CEO was not prone to being fulsome in his praise.

For the Brightspace team, it was something more personal still. Sarah stood at the back of the towpath as the car moved into place, weeks of planning, an impossibly early morning, a team that had given everything, and felt a wave of pride and emotion that she would carry with her for the rest of her career. That’s the thing about events like this one. They don’t just deliver results. They define you.

Performance Communications appointed Brightspace as its official event partner immediately after this project, and the relationship has grown ever since across multiple brands.