Mazda’s Campaign Redefines the Drive with Everyday Wonder Says Boundless CCO
In a market flooded with feature-driven and price-focused automotive ads, Mazda’s new 'Wonderrrr Awaits' campaign takes a refreshingly-different route.
Developed by Boundless Creative, the campaign shifts the narrative from technical specifications to the emotional connection that comes from driving a Mazda. Highlighting the universal joy of driving and embracing life’s simple moments, the campaign aims to elevate Mazda’s position in South Africa.
LBB’s Olivia Atkins sits down with Boundless chief creative officer Roanna Williams to discuss the creative process, the challenges that came up in production, and celebrating wonder in every journey.
LBB> What was the brief for this project, and how did it shape your creative approach?
Roanna> The brief was to reposition Mazda so that it’s no longer seen as a mainstream, value vehicle, but as one that is different to the over 2,000 (yes, 2,000) other vehicles on sale in the South African market. This is a market where the growing prevalence of Chinese imports has driven price and margins down a steep slope and created a glut of car advertising that focuses on price, features... and nothing else. Mazda’s not like that.
In the words of Mazda’s chief brand designer, it’s “not engineered to a spec; they’re engineered to an emotion.” People aren’t like that either. They make decisions based more on how they feel than how they think. And that’s what this campaign reminds us of – the uplifting wonder of life that’s there to be felt in even the smallest things, on even the shortest trip. It’s all about how a car makes you feel, not how it makes you think.
LBB> The spot has a charming, heartwarming quality and an unexpected ending – what inspired this direction and tone?
Roanna> Finding wonder is about experiencing a moment fully and completely – it’s experiencing the simplest things with a sense of marvel. Just like a dog feels with its head hanging out of a car window – living in the now and appreciating life's simple pleasures. We wanted to express that you can get this feeling when you drive a Mazda.
LBB> How did you go about selecting Ziggy as the lead dog, and why was he the perfect choice?
Roanna> We chose Ziggy because he perfectly embodies the spirit of Mazda drivers: quietly-confident, adventurous and unapologetically-individualistic. Ziggy is all of that and more. For our lead dog, we wanted someone memorable, unpretentious, and truly one of a kind.
During casting we saw many incredible dogs, but Ziggy stood out. There’s a certain magic about him – he’s a wise soul with a distinctive, natural look. He’s not overly-polished, yet he came across as effortlessly-captivating. When he leaned out of the car window during filming, ears flapping in the wind, he captured the exact sense of wonder we wanted to bring to life in the commercial. We had no problems on set with Ziggy. The training done prior to shoot day served us well. His dog wrangler maintained his focus throughout every take and Ziggy just wanted to please. He bought his natural charm and magic and it felt genuine and unscripted. 
LBB> What were the biggest challenges during production, and how did the team tackle them?
Roanna> The biggest challenge on set wasn’t Ziggy’s performance – he was a star – it was the unpredictable weather. Rain disrupted our schedule, forcing us to miss some key shots and push into a weather day. Fortunately, everything came together beautifully in the end.
Another hurdle was managing the local residents in the filming area. Closing the road for brief periods during shoots caused some frustration, leading to a few tense encounters with less-than-happy neighbours. Despite these challenges, the team pulled through, and the result was well worth it.
LBB> The ad beautifully captures a sense of wonder – why was this theme central to the story, and how does it reflect the brand’s identity?
Roanna> Mazda sets you on the path to happiness by helping you realise that there is more wonder to be discovered in each and every moment, no matter how mundane it may first seem.
We have become overly attached to the busyness of life, to being productive and getting things done, to smarter work-life strategies that allow us to compete better and achieve more. But they ultimately make us feel constantly stressed and run down. We long to escape the craziness of the chains that bind us.
We’re currently always living in survival mode.
Mazda's core purpose is to enrich life in motion and get people to embrace the wondrous every day. Mazda shifts you into a greater state of wellbeing through the enjoyment of the drive, making driving a Mazda one of life’s most simple yet fulfilling experiences. Wonder is an elevated emotion; a state of appreciation and gratitude. And we wanted to reflect how Mazda can open your eyes to the wonder that exists in the world.
LBB> Automotive ads often follow familiar tropes – how does this campaign break away from the norms of the genre?
Roanna> With a challenging economic environment and a huge automotive price war going on in South Africa, and every piece of automotive comms either pushing a financial deal or a feature, we actively sought a way to stand out. We wanted to break through the clutter of noise and the bland vehicle ads in the market.
A WARC report titled ‘Car brands: The road to riches fuelled by brand power', says: “A consumer is willing to pay more for one brand over another, then brand value becomes a vital indicator of a company’s overall value. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the auto industry, where a consumer’s perception of a brand can often be the decisive factor.”
We had this actively in mind throughout the process and chose to reach our consumers by going back to the basics of great brand advertising; we wanted to make people actually feel something. Relatability and memorability was key, and by driving authentic emotional appeal, we have been successfully able to shift our consumers' perception of Mazda.
