• by Tanya Gazdik , June 30, 2017

Remember the commercials with the secret taste tests for Folger’s coffee where upscale restaurants served the instant coffee to unsuspecting patrons who unwittingly endorsed the crystals? 

Mazda North American Operations is taking a similar approach with its Driver’s Choice Event. The 30-second spot, debuting Saturday, was created by WPP team agency Garage Team Mazda. It features luxury vehicle owners who unknowingly choose a Mazda vehicle over premium brands after a blind test drive. 

The campaign and creative were developed in collaboration with Mazda’s fully integrated and dedicated WPP team agency, Garage Team Mazda.

In advance of the test, premium vehicle owners were asked to participate in a blind study for luxury vehicles. Each vehicle was disguised in camo-wrap and foam pads to hide any recognizable body lines or brand badges. The participants were then asked to give their honest feedback after driving the vehicles and evaluating their features. After unveiling each vehicles’ brand badge, five of the six participants were pleasantly surprised to discover that they preferred the Mazda over the other comparable brands. The blind study was filmed in order to capture the honest opinions of the participants.

“This was a risky, but fun way for us to gain insight into what our customers experience when they visit a dealership,” said Russell Wager, vice president of marketing for MNAO, in a release. “By removing any preconceived notions about the vehicles, we were able to prove that Mazda vehicles offer similar, if not better, premium amenities and craftsmanship that are typically reserved for luxury brands.”

The goal for Mazda was to choose consumers who not only drive premium brands but who are also considered “premium experts” because of their professions. As a result, professionals including an architect, designer, and engineer were chosen for this blind test because of their ability to professionally speak to Mazda’s design, craftsmanship and engineering.

The Driver’s Choice advertising spot will run across major television stations including ABC and NBC, cable and sports stations and on digital media platforms through Sept. 4.