To launch their new off-road crossover vehicle, the Mazda CX-50, Mazda challenged us to go somewhere they had never gone before – establishing credibility in the outdoors. With the CX-50 as their catalyst, Mazda was seeking to ignite a deeper sense of wonder for nature and inspire their audience with their brand ethos “We’re more human in nature”.​

So we set out to create a travel & cooking content series called “Tasting Wild” that embodied the brand ethos, organically showcased the vehicles capabilities and design, and established a credible and ownable space in the outdoors by connecting with the target audience.

Through this five-part series streaming on Hulu, we showcased the Mazda CX-50 as a conduit to discovery and curiosity. By creating a platform for authentic brand storytelling in the entertainment space, we were able to build brand engagement and desirability in a way that has never been done before.

The idea was simple: partner with an established content creator to develop a branded entertainment program for a major streaming platform. Disney was selected as the ideal partner, and through collaboration with National Geographic CreativeWorks, we developed our branded entertainment series: “Tasting Wild.” This program would build Mazda’s outdoor credibility and uniquely position the brand, demonstrating the brand ethos “We’re more human in nature.” In each episode, our host, chef Melissa King would join a Nat Geo photographer or explorer to discover a distinct natural terrain and create a beautiful meal using local ingredients found along the way. We wanted a high-quality entertainment series that would emotionally resonate with our audience—and the content needed to organically show off the capability and versatility of the new Mazda CX-50 without distracting from the inspiring story.

Mazda’s impetus for designing the CX-50 was the knowledge that the North American market loves the outdoor lifestyle. Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) informed us that time spent in nature is not just enjoyable, but it actually impacts human well-being. There are tangible benefits to our health, immunity, cognitive thinking, and even creativity. This insight led us to the campaign ethos: “We’re more human in nature.”

Target audience research (via 2021 MRI Database Segmentation Analysis) also revealed this was a multifaceted audience. These are true outdoor enthusiasts who are also passionate about photography and culinary experiences, which led to the idea of creating a streaming series from Mazda that would pair outdoor adventure with an artistic and culinary theme. This allowed the brand to fulfill the same role as the Mazda CX-50 itself: inspire people to connect with nature and to discover its transformative and energizing wonder.

Behind the wheel of the Mazda CX-50, Chef Melissa King flows through the peaks and valleys of The Cascades National Park. She meets NatGeo photographer and kayak builder Kiliii Yuyan. They mount Kiliii’s kayaks to the roof rails of the CX-50 and head to a lake where they first find a good spot and do some ice climbing. Then they dismount the kayaks and head out to a pristine lake. They paddle out into the glacial waters and cast lines, fishing for a couple of good-sized Trout or Kokanee. Melissa takes in the calm of the waters. After their adventures and back on shore, they make a fire beside the CX-50, and Melissa shows Kiliii the cooking ropes as she prepares a lakeside treat inspired by their discoveries as they reflect on the importance of staying connected not only to nature, but to one’s own heritage. Here, nature feeds creativity.

In the first 90 days, viewership of the series surpassed Disney’s expected 6-month totals—with more than 535k episode completions on Hulu alone. Our brand research study showed that audiences exposed to the program throughout the Disney ecosystem increased brand opinion by 51%, and purchase consideration by 38%. Most importantly, the content was effective at changing perception. Research on the impact of the creative demonstrated a 16% point lift in Premium perception, +14% point lift in favorability, and impacted key brand attributes—increasing agreement that Mazda is “well-crafted,” “beautifully designed” and “is a brand that connects people closer to nature.” “Tasting Wild” has clearly been effective at emotionally resonating with our audience and establishing outdoor credibility for Mazda. On the episode level, the Glacier episode increased unaided branded awareness by 37.7 ppts, brand favorability by 17.9 ppts, and Recommendation Intent by 11.2 ppts.