For some, driving isn’t just transportation. It’s a passion, an escape, and a way of experiencing the world. Mazda gets that; those are the people they make cars for. With the help of our VO, Aaron Paul, this 360 campaign speaks to those lovers of the open road, reinforcing at every turn why driving matters.

The Newport Beach Film Festival needed people to know it was among the world’s best, and most difficult to get into. Our campaign “See Who Made The Cut” not only put the festival on the A-list; it produced serious results. Our promo film “Quota”, one I cowrote with director Jillian Martin, was named “Ad of the Day” by ADWEEK, who called it "a sci-fi mini-masterpiece.” and one of “The 25 Best Ads Of The Year.” Then Cannes put it on their shortlist for a Film Lion. The best part was the campaign raised awareness of the festival 36%, raised attendance 39%, and scored 138 media hits in the first week.

There was a time when EVs were hard to love. Too few charging stations, shorter battery ranges, and higher sticker prices were all barriers, even for the eco-conscious. But we’ve come a long way– chargers are everywhere, ranges are longer than ever, and all-tolled EVs are downright economical. Folks just didn’t know.

Our campaign took on those barriers to adoption and knocked them down with relatable charm and compelling facts, leading people to the natural conclusion; It’s time to LOVELECTRIC.

At Mazda, they’re dedicated to supporting their drivers, from the pros to the grassroots racers, like no other brand on the track. We made a film that celebrates those drivers titled “The Driver In All Of Us.” We also worked with Fox Sports to create a content series called “The Racing Line” featuring some of our racing team’s most inspiring stories.

We rolled into Austin and created the Mazda Studio, reinforcing Mazda’s “Car As Art” philosophy, and delivering a stand-out SXSW experience.

In this total brand immersion, guests could help a real Mazda Takumi master clay modeler sculpt a speed form, feel the Mazda “horse and rider” relationship via a stimulating VR experience, ask IBM’s Watson questions at our Engineer’s forum, get a killer t-shirt with designs by some of Austin’s best artists, and experience a Mazda first hand through our shuttle service.

We rev’d up our social channels to get the word out, and SPIN’s influencers to amplify it. Made some cool posters and print too.

In the ’80s, Serengeti sunglasses were hot, known for their distinctive designs and technologically-advanced lenses. Our challenge was two-fold: to relaunch this iconic fashion bran, restoree it to its rightfully dope statu,s and make as much gorgeous content as possible in a two-day shoot.

We created the “Chase the Light” campaign – a salute to all who chase light to pursue their craft; the designer, the artist, the photographer, the director, and the adventurer. Then we designed a two-day shoot with five locations, two crews, and eight actors, each with four wardrobe changes.

The results? A brand film, eight key visuals for retail use worldwide, a massive library of video content and static assets to expand the “Chase the Light” story across every channel, an influencer campaign spotlighting light chasers from around the world, and a fully developed plan for the first “Chase The Light” Film Makers contest set to activate at Sundance, where young directors and DPs can win a trip to Sundance, one-of-kind exposure to the industry, and $10,000 to make their next film. That’s ROI, baby.

Mazda kept the roadster alive when they made the first MX-5 Miata. To launch the new model, we let Miata drivers around the world tell the story. And when Derek Jenkins revealed the new model at the New York Auto Show with our line #longlivetheroadster, the critics went nuts.

To launch Mazda’s seventh generation of cars, we showed people how it feels to drive one; you feel connected, powerful, in control, and alive. When you feel like that, you can do anything. A full 360 campaign executed around the world, from the brand level through retail, we encouraged people to spread their wings. And they heard us. Brand awareness skyrocketed over 34% in the first three months.

Mazda’s new brand position was born.

They made the X1 for the thrill-junkie. Our job was to tell that story without getting hurt. Along with broadcast and radio (our friend Chris Pine rocks the VO), we did some print and POS posters.

For our second year with the Newport Beach Film Festival, our theme was “The Power of Ideas.” Our film “Play”, which I co-wrote with the great Daniel Bremmer, is the story of a sweet little boy who discovers just how powerful his ideas can be. Along with the film, we created the key art for the posters and t-shirts. Then we did some ads for the agency that ran in the Festival program. (The QR code on the blood bag links to the agency website.)

How do you show off the inside of a Mazda CX-5? Have a magician cut in in half. Two magicians, actually.

Nobody likes talking to a salesman. So we let our in-store pieces do the talking for us. Be it poster, lenticular, clock, car freshener, or content film, we told the BMW story one piece at time.

It doesn't make sense that a BMW wouldn't cost a penny to maintain. Which is why we had to keep reminding people. We did some video content, pulled a stunt where paid for people’s parking for a day, even sold some BMW tool kits on eBay to make our point. Got the word out with radio and print / posters as well.

People think of SDG&E as a power company. They don’t know how dedicated they are to preventing wildfires. So dedicated, it should be part of their name: San Diego Gas & Electric & Wildfire Safety. We grabbed attention and delivered crucial information with a graphic approach integrated across video, out-of-home, social, print, display, rich media, and a dedicated app. And San Diegans heard us. During the worst wildfire season in CA history, we saw a 16% lift in customer opinion that SDG&E helps people stay safe and informed during wildfires.

Excavation damage on customer property is the leading cause of utility disruptions and dangerous accidents. Most homeowners have a pompous confidence when it comes to their yard and don’t see a need for having lines marked before they dig, while others don’t even know 811 free service exists. Thanks to this quirky, sticky, stop-motion campaign, we saw an increase in requests for 811 Dig service of 14% YOY. In June, typically the highest for dangerous dig incidents, we saw them drop 49% YOY.

From the second that Mazda announced its partnership with the renowned Team Joest, there was excitement. But success could only be measured by victory. And win we did at Watkins Glen, taking both first and second place. Right away our drivers thanked our 25 biggest followers with a personalized video. They thanked all the fans with a group video, a carousel on FB and a USA Today ad. Winning sure makes you feel alive.

The sales event - a mainstay of every car brand. We wanted ours to feel more “brand” than “event,” while still moving the metal. We gave our hard working dealers some hard working materials, from TV spots to social videos, a microsite, and banners, and they saw results. A 24% bump in sales over last year’s event.

Californian’s already knew how to conserve energy. We just needed to give them credit for doing it. The response was amazing: an average of 24% less energy used when the campaign was live. Fun, and effective.