Car manufacturers tend to try entertaining television viewers more than informing them; a topic that gets brought up during Superbowl Sunday. Sometimes the completely outrageous commercials are a success, but going the traditional route by being simple and honest with a touch of motivation to buy the vehicle is more effective. Mazda’s new commercial for their 2014 Mazda 3 contains every aspect a good car ad should have, from the narration to the music playing in the background.
Having Bruce Lee, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Jackie Robinson in this commercial was great thinking. The Mazda 3 is a small sedan and hatchback which is where the reference to Bruce Lee comes in. This Mazda isn’t like the competition in it’s class and therefore Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture is telling the viewer just that. The courage that this auto manufacturer has, being likened to that of Jackie Robinson, shows that they went in a direction with their car that no one else thought of. This concept alone is enough to sell potential buyers, but Mazda didn’t stop there.
Thirty seconds into the commercial the fuel economy is brought to the viewers attention; the Mazda 3 gets 41 miles per gallon on the highway. Skyactiv technology is exclusive to Mazdas, and this improves fuel efficiency and engine output. Safety features such as the alerts the driver gets when a car is in the blind spot is clearly depicted, giving another reason to the viewer why he or she should buy this vehicle. Then entertainment features that allow the driver or passenger to connect to Facebook and Twitter show the technology capabilities of the product. It’s been about one month into 2014, but so far this is the most informative and perfectly done car commercial of the year.
Lastly the music, using Capital Cities’ song, “Safe and Sound”, is appropriately dropped into the ad seamlessly, insinuating that the car is in fact safe. I’ve had the pleasure of sitting in the new Mazda 3, both the sedan and hatchback and the commercial in every aspect is true. To see a car manufacturer finally make an ad that is honest and simple is encouraging, and other auto makers should consider doing the same.
The final sentence, “Dare the impossible and you can do the incredible” not only wraps up the commercial by saying “Look at what we’ve done to our new Mazda 3”, but it also motivates the viewers. Having three legends in their respected professions wasn’t just a marketing ploy to say that the Mazda 3 encompasses what those men did, it was done to also make the viewer act. “Dare the impossible and you can do the incredible”. A great commercial all around and it embodies everything an ad should be.