Cars and cameras come together in Mini and Nikon's new partnership

By Gannon Burgett January 12, 2017

nikon mini marketing partnership countryman keymission 2018

Nikon and Mini have agreed to a new marketing partnership that will see the two companies work alongside one another to cross-promote their respective products.

In its press release, Nikon says the pair will create a collection of marketing material designed to showcase the immersive and visual capabilities of Nikon’s KeyMission camera series and the driving experience of Mini’s new adventure-oriented Countryman vehicle lineup.

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Specifically, the plan is to create virtual reality experiences using Nikon’s KeyMission 360 cameras inside and outside Mini Countryman vehicles. Mini says the 4K drive-along experiences will be made available before Countryman vehicles even hit the showroom floor, giving consumers a preview of the subcompact crossover’s rugged capabilities.

KeyMission 360

“Using the KeyMission 360, Mini is able to bring new perspectives and immersive experiences to customers even before the cars are physically in the showrooms,” says Nikon. “On the other hand, KeyMission 360’s standout optical and imaging innovation is clearly demonstrated through the full 360-degree videos of the Mini Countryman.”

The end goal of the partnership is to create “unique and authentic experiences” for consumers of cameras and cars alike.

In addition to immersive video experiences, the marketing partnership will also include promotional exchanges across social media networks and even through in-store advertising material.

The partnership might appear to be an unlikely one, but with GoPro and Red Bull tightly intertwined with one another, it makes sense that Nikon is looking to make an impact of its own through cross-promotion.

2017 is Nikon’s 100th anniversary. Each day is a new opportunity for Nikon to show where it’s headed next. And if we can gather any insight from this collaboration, it seems as though Nikon has a solid interest in showcasing its VR capture capabilities.

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