UPDATE:
Nissan has reached out to TU CEO Chris Wood regarding an ad spot showing their 2022 Frontier pick-up driving up a stream bed in their latest ad spot. In addition to the written response, Nissan has now removed the footage of the truck in the stream bed from those ads.
Read the letter below their VP of Communications sent to Chris Wood, below.
From TU.org:
Dear Mr. Wood:
Thank you for your correspondence regarding our recent truck spot. We apologize for the delay in responding.
We take conservation and respectful operation of our vehicles very seriously, and we are sorry that our imagery missed the mark. While we took several steps to safeguard the locations where we filmed the spot from damage, we didn’t properly consider the impact that the simple use of the scenes could have.
The spot has now been edited to remove those portions. We’re also committed to making sure that future marketing and communications efforts reflect the expectations that outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists have of us as a major off-road truck manufacturer.
To further show our commitment to the work Trout Unlimited is doing to care for and recover rivers and streams, we would like to make a $10,000 donation to support your efforts.
Again, we thank you for bringing this to our attention and helping us better connect to your community.
Sincerely,
Brian
Brian Brockman | Vice President, Communications, US & Canada
You can learn more about the letter in this article on TU.org!
Previous coverage of the ad spot can be found below:
Despite issuing apologies and pulling commercials, the 4×4 and truck brand community continue to believe that driving a pick-up truck or SUV up a wilderness creek bed is totally ok. First, it was Jeep, then Ford, then Chevy and now Nissan has joined in on the destructive practice. The latest commercial from Nissan, advertising their 2022 Frontier pick-up, has been running during breaks in the World Series.
Trout Unlimited has been quick on the topic, and TU CEO Chris Wood has contacted each brand, sending a letter calling out and explaining the detrimental nature of driving a full-sized truck up the middle of a stream.
To read more about the issue and the actions Trout Unlimited is taking to combat the continued abuse of streams by automakers, check out this article from CEO Chris Wood, here!
