Long overdue. The 5 has been quite popular in Canada (at least in Toronto where I live), but still not a lot of people know about it. This is going to make it the "vehicle of choice" for all the minivan owners out there. We should be proud to be the trend setters here.
Cool parents rock out with Mazda
June 12, 2008 | By Kristin Laird
Mazda Canada is putting Canadians in the driver’s seat as it targets young families with its latest online game, “Dashboard Rock,” to promote its Mazda5 crossover vehicle.
The game, created by Doner Canada and Hooplah Inc. at www.dashboardrock.ca, is an extension of the Mazda5 “Never Lose Your Cool” campaign launched in 2005.
Consumer research found the target market isn’t ready to surrender to a minivan and reacted negatively to the soccer-mom image.“They didn’t believe that their ‘cool’ status needed to change as a result of having a family, and that’s the unique space that this vehicle has been able to provide,” said Brent Rivard, vice-president and national account director at Doner.
Dashboard Rock is meant to appeal to this audience in an entertaining way, while promoting Mazda5, said Rivard. The game lets users rock out to songs provided by Universal Music Canada. Users create a player profile by uploading their picture onto a bobblehead, and try to play one minute of a selected song by using the keys on their computer.
Once users complete a song, they “drive” to the next Canadian landmark in their Mazda5, where they are required to play a new song. Players can download the song for free after successfully completing the route. They can also send electronic postcards to friends. The card, which includes a voice message authored by the user, can be uploaded to sites like MySpace and Facebook.
Five of the songs in the game are from Canadian bands that played in the Mazda Muzik Tour–an across-the-country search for musical talent.
Banner ads and expandable video units placed on various social networks drive people to the game, which launched earlier this week and will run over the next year.
Originally published in Marketing Magazine, June 2008
Cool parents rock out with Mazda
June 12, 2008 | By Kristin Laird
Mazda Canada is putting Canadians in the driver’s seat as it targets young families with its latest online game, “Dashboard Rock,” to promote its Mazda5 crossover vehicle.
The game, created by Doner Canada and Hooplah Inc. at www.dashboardrock.ca, is an extension of the Mazda5 “Never Lose Your Cool” campaign launched in 2005.
Consumer research found the target market isn’t ready to surrender to a minivan and reacted negatively to the soccer-mom image.“They didn’t believe that their ‘cool’ status needed to change as a result of having a family, and that’s the unique space that this vehicle has been able to provide,” said Brent Rivard, vice-president and national account director at Doner.
Dashboard Rock is meant to appeal to this audience in an entertaining way, while promoting Mazda5, said Rivard. The game lets users rock out to songs provided by Universal Music Canada. Users create a player profile by uploading their picture onto a bobblehead, and try to play one minute of a selected song by using the keys on their computer.
Once users complete a song, they “drive” to the next Canadian landmark in their Mazda5, where they are required to play a new song. Players can download the song for free after successfully completing the route. They can also send electronic postcards to friends. The card, which includes a voice message authored by the user, can be uploaded to sites like MySpace and Facebook.
Five of the songs in the game are from Canadian bands that played in the Mazda Muzik Tour–an across-the-country search for musical talent.
Banner ads and expandable video units placed on various social networks drive people to the game, which launched earlier this week and will run over the next year.
Originally published in Marketing Magazine, June 2008
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