Nissan reveals LED installation for its flagship Paris store, showcasing motion design crafted by Found

Car brand Nissan has unveiled an all-new LED installation for its flagship showroom in Paris, crafted by film and motion studio Found and commissioned as part of a wider in-store installation led by strategic design consultancy 20.20.

This innovative blend of art and technology is not only a first for Nissan, it’s a rare feat for an LED screen of this scale to be executed in a retail space. This shows how brands can create dynamic in-store experiences that enhance rather than distract from the brand and its product.

 

“We’re constantly seeking progressive ways to showcase our products to the world, and for this store we wanted to find a new way to invite customers into our brand”, says Leslie Papon of Nissan Europe.

“We commissioned an ambitious store design and turned to Found to produce animated content that would bring the space to life” continued Leslie “We’re really pleased with the result. It’s a real talking point with our customers and has generated increased footfall and store penetration.”

Without applying immersive or interactive technology, such as AR or VR, the installation still needed to have the impact of a live-action experience. “We asked Found to produce 20 minutes of wonderfully vivid 6k animation” Alan Stickland at agency 20.20 says. “and they delivered the perfect solution. Their abstract animation provides a beautiful moving backdrop for the store environment. It’s an enormous draw for customers, and manages the delicate balance between impact and ambience so it compliments, rather than dominates the store and the cars on display.”

Found created two ten-minute CGI rendered loops that reflect Nissan’s Japanese heritage by celebrating a mix of tradition, modernity, precision and nature. The two worlds have been designed to play in symmetry, merging seamlessly and continuously to represent movement and progression.

The first loop, named ‘realism’ begins with a brutalist, concrete world and softens into beautiful, photo-real steel and glass structures. The second, titled ‘abstract’, presents intricate Japanese-inspired geometric shapes, inspired by the materials and patterns of modern engineering. These are reflected onto the breadth of the vehicle below, bringing vibrant life to a static object.

“We were excited to use motion design in such a unique and innovative way, to bring film and lighting design into a physical retail space, to go beyond the screen.  We’ve used form to mirror a real car journey and brought in the vehicle and brand itself with textures of seat belts, origami paper and the intricate nature of Japanese art. Photo-real light play brings the physical vehicle into the installation”, says Mike Sharpe, creative director at Found.

“We’re proud to lead the way with a bespoke installation of this size and can’t wait to invite people to experience our products in a whole new light” Leslie summarised.

The project can be experienced exclusively in the Nissan flagship store in Paris.