• April 13, 2011

Mazda has a new ad push starting this week with the theme "What do you drive?," the mantra, "if it's not worth driving, it's not worth building," and the long-standing tag-line, "Zoom-Zoom."

The effort launches with an anthem spot focusing on how different elements of Mazda vehicle tug at one's heartstrings. The campaign is from new dedicated agency group Garage-Team Mazda in Irvine. The ad shows the emotional response to how the gear lever sits in the driver's hand, the way the steering wheel feels, the way the car simply responds, according to the automaker.

The television, online, and social media, campaign will run over the next year. "In short, we are provoking the conversation about what you drive," said Harvey Marco, chief creative officer, Garage-Team Mazda, in a statement. "This is a brand that at its very core has a passion for driving.  It's a truth about who we are and what we've always stood for."

The ads will run on shows like "The Office," "Dancing with the Stars," "Grey's Anatomy" and the NBA Playoffs.  The ads also will air on cable networks including ESPN, TNT, HGTV, Bravo and the Speed Channel.

Mazda is also running interactive video on sites like YouTube, Hulu and Facebook, as well as on auto vertical sites like Edmunds.com, KBB.com and Cars.com.  The automaker says the video ads will include polls and social-media links -- viewers can "like" the content, share it, and comment on it.