Nissan UK puts brand values first, knocking down barriers with their "Dare to Defy" campaign

In the driver’s seat of a racecar, a young woman named Abi is getting to fulfill a lifelong dream: the opportunity to become a proper racing driver. At the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship finale in London, her wish is coming true as she darts around the track in an all-electric Nissan LEAF NISMO RC. It’s one of only ten in the world. But what makes this particular one so special for this occasion is that the vehicle has been equipped with an entirely hand-controlled system—a must-have for Abi, who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The disorder has changed the way Abi navigates the world, and as a wheelchair user, Abi had considered that the possibility of buzzing around the track, hands on the wheel, was out of the question.

But possibilities are something of a specialty for Nissan.

The opportunity came through the Nissan Possibilities Project—an initiative with the Richard Whitehead Foundation and Sported UK to help people with disabilities participate in sporting activities. The project is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative using Nissan’s technologies, resources, and expertise to create more opportunities for people from underrepresented groups, with a specific focus on supporting the disability and LGBTQ+ communities. With its first “graduating class” in 2023, the project has assisted people across the United Kingdom who want to get active through running and sport but face barriers to achieving their ambition. In pursuit of bringing more attention to the program and the incredible work done through Nissan and the Richard Whitehead Foundation, the agency Dark Horses worked with Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab to put the Possibilities Project in the spotlight.

What resulted was the “Dare to Defy” campaign: a three-part docuseries that gives three of the project’s initiatives the cinematic treatment. And to make sure the hard work of the Possibilities Project was seen, Dark Horses made use of the vast canvas of channels Amazon Ads makes available to its customers. The initiative hoped to increase brand awareness and campaign engagement with the project and those involved with it.

Bringing the concept to life on screen

The “Dare to Defy” series features British Paralympic gold medalist and marathon world record holder Richard Whitehead MBE, alongside LGBTQ+ advocate, broadcaster, and DJ-turned-marathon runner Adele Roberts. Together, across three episodes, they challenge stereotypes and explore barriers that underrepresented communities face when attempting to participate in sports. The Nissan diversity and inclusion ambassadors seek to improve the lives of Britons wanting to get active and play sports in the U.K. In the community, sports bring everyone together; the Nissan Possibilities Project works to ensure that anyone who wants to be part of the action can participate, whether that’s getting Abi in the seat of the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC or empowering LGBTQ+ athletes on the football pitch. Throughout the series, Whitehead and Roberts, who have visible and non-visible disabilities, talk with community members and leaders about the importance of accessibility and inclusion in the world of athletics.

To bring the campaign to life, Nissan worked with Dark Horses to develop the three 30-minute episodes, highlighting three stories of athletes who found their place within the sports community. As a campaign with a focus on brand awareness, the trio of episodes were designed to make audiences more aware of the program and the work that Nissan is doing with the Richard Whitehead Foundation. The campaign launched on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and concluded on January 6.

Finding resonance through CSR

These initiatives resonate with audiences outside of Nissan UK as well—according to the 2025 Higher Impact report from Amazon Ads, 79% of respondents said they are more likely to purchase a product or services from brands whose values align with their own, and 80% of respondents said they absolutely love it when a brand can make them feel inspired in some way. And according to 2025 research from Amazon Ads titled “Beyond the Generational Divide,” 72% of surveyed respondents of all generations say their interests, hobbies and passions define them more than their age, with 3 out of 5 also saying that they like brands that speak to their values.¹

“It’s been incredible to bring the Possibilities Project to life so visually through making ‘Dare to Defy’ with Dark Horses, Amazon Ads, Electric Robin, and of course Richard, Adele, and all the contributors,” said Fiona Mackay, Marketing Director at Nissan UK. “We’re very proud to support underrepresented communities through the Nissan Possibilities Project, and this brilliant documentary series will help shine a light on the challenges they face, but also on the progress that’s being made to break down barriers to participation in sport.”

Helping the creative go the distance

To ensure exposure, Brand Innovation Lab and Dark Horses leveraged Amazon’s wide canvas, promoting the videos across several of Amazon’s owned channels. A custom Fire TV page with advertorial videos giving a look into each episode helped drive viewers to the full-length episodes, housed on Prime Video. The advertorial videos for each episode were also available on YouTube to increase interest. On Twitch, Brooke Lawson, better known online as @DexterityBonus, a U.S.-based gamer living in the U.K., hosted a “watch-along event,” with interviews with Richard, Adele, and Abi as viewers watched clips of the episodes.

“We believe in the power of storytelling to drive meaningful change. Our work with Nissan, Dark Horses, and Electric Robin on the ‘Dare to Defy’ documentary exemplifies how brand-funded programming can authentically integrate important messages into compelling content,” said Phil Christer, U..K Managing Director at Amazon Ads. The campaign proved to be successful, helping bring Nissan’s work with the Richard Whitehead Foundation to people across the U.K.

Promotion of the campaign helped drive awareness, with earned media wins around the campaign in the U.K. and beyond. The campaign also caught fire in trades, with 17 mentions in advertising and marketing publications. The combination of collaborations with Twitch creators like Lawson, as well as earned media and promotion on Amazon’s owned channels helped achieve the campaign’s objective of reaching audiences and driving awareness of the campaign.

In culmination of the campaign, Whitehead, Roberts, Nissan, and the Richard Whitehead Foundation came together at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for Run to the Future—a 2K and 5K race celebrating access, diversity, and of course, athleticism. And while metrics and reach are important to any campaign, the big takeaway from Nissan and Dark Horse’s important work? Limitations are meant to be broken. The only requirement for an athlete is the drive to get out there and do it.

Sources

1. ¹ Amazon Ads custom research with Strat7 Crowd.DNA. Beyond the Generational Divide: The new rules for consumer connection. Fielded December 2024 to January 2025. Data reflects AU, BR, CA, DE, ES, FR, IT, JP, MX, U.K., and U.S. aggregated. Base: All respondents (26,400), Gen Z (6,680), Millennials (6,680), Gen X (6,668), Baby Boomers (6,372).