Nissan Ditches Uber-Starring Ad

By Haniya Rae • January 6, 2014 •

Nissan altered an ad campaign featuring car sharing service Uber after events in real life came uncomfortably close to the action portrayed in the ad.

“The Briefcase,” which promotes the 2014 Nissan Rogue, has an action-packed car chase video like something out of a Bourne movie. A geeky looking dude gets into a car from his car service of choice, Uber, and is then taken through a series of amazing car stunts, all to protect a briefcase. Several high-impact car collisions are shown leading up to an open-ended finale where viewers are left wondering what will happen to the unsuspecting Uber rider.

All of this is cool and fun, except when it hits too close to home: on New Year’s Eve a San Francisco Uber driver was arrested for a fatal collision with pedestrians, which took the life of a 6-year-old. The accident has ignited calls for regulation of Uber drivers, which aren’t subject to the same regulations as other taxi services.

“In deference to the recent fatal accident involving a former Uber driver, Nissan is working to suspend its video, ‘The Briefcase,’ which included a reference to the company. The piece will be edited out of respect for the family and re-issued.”

“The Briefcase” commercial has also been aired on TV for the last several weeks, though after the recent accident, it’s elicited negative Twitter responses from those who’ve seen it: