MarketInk: San Diego’s Reggie Bush Chills in Nissan’s Heisman TV Ads

Reggie Bush, former college football star and on-air Fox sports analyst who grew up in Spring Valley and set rushing records while playing at La Mesa’s Helix High School, emerges from a frosty chamber in the latest installment of Nissan’s long-running “Heisman House” advertising campaign, now in its 14th year.

Nissan, a longtime sponsor of college football’s Heisman Trophy, is featuring several former Heisman winners, including Bush, in TV spots this season airing on ESPN, ABC, CBS and Fox. Over the years, Nissan has drawn from a cast of former Heisman winners who have been humorously depicted as roommates living in a fraternity-style “Heisman House.”

In Bush’s 30-second spot, ex-Baylor great Robert Griffin III escorts Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman winner and former LSU quarterback. “Come on rookie, you sleep down here,” Griffin says. A button is pushed and Bush emerges from an extended stay in frozen cryotherapy, checks his wristwatch and declares, “Lost track of time in there. So, what’s new?”

Following a plug for Nissan’s 2025 Kicks subcompact crossover, the spot shows a newly-thawed Bush watching several new innovations, including robotic dogs playing with the University of Georgia’s bulldog mascot, ex-Michigan great Desmond Howard filming social media content and 1978 Heisman winner Billy Sims watching a game using a virtual reality headset.

Ad campaign reviewer David Gianatasio with Muse by Clios commented, “They couldn’t freeze out Reggie Bush forever.”

Additional Heisman winners appearing in other Nissan “Heisman House” spots include Baker Mayfield, Mark Ingram, Tim Tebow and Steve Spurrier, who won the Heisman in 1966 while playing quarterback for the University of Florida. The campaign was developed by Omnicom’s TBWA\Chiat\Day.

Bush was considered one of the most exciting players in college football history during his three years at the University of Southern California from 2003 to 2005, while winning two national titles and the Heisman. He went on to an 11-year NFL career.

The TV ad campaign’s timing coincides with Bush’s recent defamation lawsuit filed against USC, the NCAA and the Pac-12 conference in a bid to recoup money allegedly made on his name, image and likeness during his career with the Trojans two decades ago.

Bush was stripped of his Heisman in 2010 after USC was hit with massive sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers. This past April, the Heisman Trust returned the trophy to Bush, citing fundamental changes in the structure of college athletics over the past 14 years.

The defamation lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Los Angeles Superior Court, contends the defendants profited from TV contracts, merchandise sales and media rights stemming from Bush’s football career, for which he was not compensated during to NCAA regulations at the time.

Bush’s attorney Evan Selik said in a statement, “This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush; it’s about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes. Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated and treated fairly for their contributions.”

Qdoba Promotes Queso Apocalypto and National Expansion

San Diego-based Qdoba, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant, has launched a new advertising campaign for its Queso Apocalypto, which the chain claims is its spiciest queso yet.

The campaign is targeting younger millennials and Gen Z through social media, radio, digital and influencer partnerships. The campaign’s imagery highlights the product’s spiciness, including scenes of someone handling the product in a flame-retardant suit and activities at Qdoba’s test kitchen.

The limited-time queso menu item consists of Qdoba’s queso diablo, fiery hot crunchies, salsa roja, habanero salsa and pickled jalapeños. It was introduced on Sept. 20 in honor of National Queso Day.

“At Qdoba, we believe queso should be celebrated every day, not just on National Queso Day,” said Kim Zamir, VP of marketing at Qdoba. “Spicy foods are one of this year’s hottest, literally, food trends, and Qdoba has a passion for innovating new menu items our fans will love.”

Qdoba, owned by parent company Modern Restaurant Concepts, operates more than 750 locations in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, but only two in San Diego, including in Mission Valley and at San Diego International Airport, North Terminal. In January of this year, John Cywinski, CEO of Modern Restaurant Concepts, announced plans to double the number of Qdoba outlets by 2033.

Also in January, Chicago-based advertising agency Leo Burnett landed the Qdoba account. The queso campaign is its first work for Qdoba. Other Leo Burnett clients include Miller Life, Kellogg’s Special K, Tillamook and KFC.

“I’ve long regarded Leo Burnett as the best in the business,” Cywinski said. “They have an exceptional reputation for propelling growth of nationally renowned brands and doing so in a way that genuinely connects with America. I couldn’t be more excited about our partnership with Leo Burnett, and I expect our initial campaign work will be introduced to America in 2025.”

Qdoba is currently 80% franchised, a statement said. Modern Restaurant Concepts is a portfolio company of Butterfly Equity, a Los Angeles-based, private equity firm specializing in the food sector.

Jack in the Box PR Agency Wins Award for Snoop Dogg Publicity

Small Girls PR, a public relations boutique agency with offices in Los Angeles and New York, has been awarded a Marketing Americas Gold award for its publicity work for San Diego-based, fast-food hamburger chain Jack in the Box, Inc. (JITB).

The award, presented by The Drum, a British-based news outlet that covers the advertising and media industries, recognized Small Girls PR’s efforts for a 2023 JITB advertising campaign with celebrity rapper Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., also known as Snoop Dogg.

The campaign promoted a menu item called Snoop’s Munchie Meal that consisted of a spicy chicken sandwich, classic taco, medium curly fries, baked brownie, drink and “Purple Haze” air freshener.

A Small Girls PR statement said, “We’re thrilled to see our ‘outside the box’ thinking be celebrated for a brand that is, quite literally, inside a box. Shout out to our incredible, collective Jack in the Box team for helping the Snoop’s Munchie Meal campaign come to life.”

The Drum said in a statement, “This perfectly balanced campaign told the story of the dynamic duo and legends coming together to create a meal with Jack’s style and Snoop’s munchie expertise. The release of the meal used wink-wink, nod-nod messaging, reinforcing Jack as a trailblazer and friend to late-night shenanigans. By leveraging two exclusive interviews, one with Jack in the Box CMO Ryan Ostrom and another with Snoop Dogg himself, and delivering the meal to local broadcast studios, the campaign rollout was seen across social channels and wide-reaching national press coverage.”

PRSA Hosts Program with Scripps Institution of Oceanography

The Public Relations Society of America’s San Diego-Imperial Counties chapter will host an educational and networking event featuring the PR team from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography starting at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Ted and Jean Scripps Marine Conservation and Technology Facility, Room 2019, on the Scripps campus, 8890 Biological Grade, La Jolla.

The program will delve into the power of collaboration in advancing strategic goals, crisis communication and social amplification, PRSA said. From raising awareness on atmospheric river research to creating experiments that dyed the ocean pink in Del Mar, the Scripps team will share how strategic storytelling is used to highlight the organization’s mission, as well as foster recruitment and talent retention.

Presenters will include Hallie Jacobs, social media specialist, Lauren Fimbres Wood, director of strategic communications, and Ian Clampett, director of state and local government relations. The Scripps PR team was named the PR Team of the Year at the 2023 Bernays Awards. For more event information, visit www.prsasdic.org.

Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.