Launching Mazda’s first-ever off-road vehicle

Launching Mazda’s first-ever off-road vehicle

CHALLENGE

For Mazda’s first-ever off-road vehicle, the brand was intent on communicating to automotive media how effectively the CX-50 adapted to nature: from its driving performance to its design aesthetic. Unable to bring journalists to physically experience the car, how could we meet those goals virtually?

APPROACH

Our solution was to take our virtual audience on an immersive journey into the CX-50 and the outdoors. Our reveal film was made up of two parts...

To demonstrate the off-road performance of the CX-50, we shot a Mazda engineer on some challenging terrain in the hills of California. The landscape beautifully reflected the ‘Zircon Sand’ launch colour and through immersive filming techniques and carefully choreographed sequences, we brought the driving experience to life.

For a more detailed exploration of the vehicle design, we transported our production to an ‘extended reality’ (XR) studio. Here, we created the illusion of another landscape the CX-50 is designed for: a lush, sun-dappled forest. Taking advantage of this incredible technology, we could show off all the detail of the vehicle exactly how it’s intended to be seen.

The film itself was hosted on a bespoke website that allowed the user to customise the natural landscape and soundscape surrounding the virtual experience.

RESULTS

76 earned media articles, with overwhelmingly positive sentiment.

“We like the handsome, squared-off shape and the modern-looking headlights and taillights and think the CX-50 looks even better than the already stylish CX-5.” - Joey Capparella, Car and Driver

“I realize that calling a crossover with mild off-road capabilities ‘badass’ may seem a bit odd, especially from a diehard off-roader like me. But I’m talking about looks here because let’s be honest, that’s why people buy these vehicles anyway — it’s all about image. And this Mazda CX-50 looks incredible.” - David Tracy, Jalopnik

You can see the film for yourself at https://owners.mazdacx50reveal.com/