Mazda joins with Dr. Seuss in CX-5 ads
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LOS ANGELES -- Ahead of its U.S. sales debut in April, Mazda's CX-5 is getting a Dr. Seuss makeover with a new commercial to promote the car and the upcoming 3-D computer-animated film Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.
Mazda unveiled the commercial on Friday. The spot shows a cartoonish CX-5 cruising along amidst the colorful tufts of the Truffula trees in the Truffula Valley of The Lorax, the children's story by author Dr. Seuss.
The spot is an early component of Mazda's launch of both the CX-5 compact crossover and the brand's Skyactiv vehicle technologies. Skyactiv technology is Mazda's marketing term used to brand its lightweight vehicle chassis and fuel efficient powertrain technologies that underpin the CX-5 and future Mazda vehicles.
The launch of the vehicle and Skyactiv spurred Mazda to boost its advertising budget by 25 percent this year. Mazda executives have declined to provide a national marketing budget for its fiscal year starting April 1, but a source has said it would be about $325 million.
Mazda and ad agency Garage Team Mazda developed the commercial with Illumination Entertainment, the production company behind Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, and Universal Pictures, the studio backing the film. The film is in theaters March 2.
In a statement, Don Romano, chief marketing officer for Mazda North American Operations, said combining Skyactiv and the environmental message of The Lorax adaptation was a "natural fit."
A Mazda spokeswoman said the commercial is scheduled to run into mid-March.
You can reach Ryan Beene at rbeene@crain.com. -- Follow Ryan on 
