Nissan invites men to spend a day as their wives

Nissan wants to give Japanese men a sense of what it’s like to be their wives, in an initiative that promotes its Serena family wagon and supports a social interest group.

The ‘Mommying Drive’ idea took shape under the supervision of the Japan Aisaika Organization, also known as the Japan Society of Loving Husbands. A video documents the experience of three intrepid husbands who dress up as their wives and spend a day in their shoes.

Activities performed with the help of the Serena include doing the school run, buying groceries, collecting dry-cleaning, and ferrying children to and from extracurricular activities. According to a statement on Nissan’s behalf, the aim was to convey an understanding of the challenges wives and mothers face and to see the Serena’s advantages from a new perspective. A further video shows how it all took shape.

In addition to the film, Nissan is to hold a test drive for the Serena on 28 and 29 January at the gallery in its global headquarters in Yokohama. Not just any test drive though: male participants will again dress up as their wives, in some cases wearing an inner suit that restricts movement, and receive a shopping assignment.

Campaign’s view: The Serena is not the most thrilling of vehicles, but this is a commendable effort to give the car a certain personality and highlight its benefits. More than that though, it doesn’t come across purely as a stunt dreamed up to get attention: the brand benefits for Nissan are clear, but appear secondary to supporting the efforts of the 'loving husbands' society and drawing attention to the need for men to play an active role in family life.