Mazda Australia has unveiled a national campaign via Clemenger BBDO to launch the Next-Gen Mazda CX-5. Titled “It’s Kind of a Big Deal,” the campaign centers on an ad film called “The Mountaintop,” in which the 2026 Mazda CX-5 winds its way up Mount Wellington in Tasmania as a choir of Mazda designers, engineers, and drivers climb toward the summit, singing an original song created for the campaign celebrating the vehicle’s features.
Bet you weren’t expecting that.
Created with The Finch Company and directed by Christopher Riggert, the film takes the idea of singing a car’s praises to an entirely new level—and a much higher altitude.
According to the release, Mazda CX-5 makes up a quarter of Mazda’s total vehicle sales in Australia, with more than 330,000 CX-5s on the road across the country.
“Every part of the Next-Gen CX-5 has been carefully considered, so we wanted the campaign to reflect the craft and care Mazda’s designers and engineers put in,” said Amy Weston, Executive Creative Director, Clemenger BBDO.
“Bring that together with the legacy of the iconic Mazda brand, and it’s kind of a big deal, so our campaign had to be memorable. Getting the people who know it best to sing its praises from the mountaintops felt like the natural way to do that. It’s probably proved a bit too memorable – the team have had it stuck in their head since the shoot.”
“The iconic CX-5’s significant upgrade for 2026 is a moment to celebrate,” said Ashlin Moore, National Brand Manager, Mazda.
“The next-gen CX-5 isn’t a small evolution – it’s a significant step-up from the previous model, so we needed a bold, confident and memorable idea to mark this significant launch. ‘It’s Kind of a Big Deal’, celebrates the CX-5’s track record as a proven, reliable all-rounder, while also showcasing its next-gen evolution, offering a more stylish, spacious and smarter vehicle than ever before.”
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Mazda Australia with ‘It’s Kind of a Big Deal,'” said Mike Napolitano, Co-CEO, Clemenger BBDO.
“This campaign brings to life the iconic CX-5 in a unique way, reinforcing the long-held confidence in the Mazda brand and vehicle, while also looking to the future. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to innovate and shape the future of the Mazda Australia brand – the Mazda team’s trust in our work and willingness to embrace our ideas and vision is part of what has made our long-standing collaboration so successful.”
Credits
Client: Mazda
Ashlin Moore: National Brand Manager
Lynsey Murtagh: Senior Manager, Brand Marketing and Partnerships
Bella Kurth: Brand Marketing & Sponsorships Senior Specialist
Jess Roberts: Senior Brand Marketing & Partnerships Specialist
Dominique Waight: Senior Specialist Brand Marketing & Partnerships
Victoria Nguyen: Brand Marketing & Partnerships Specialist
Kyle Lord: Video & Multimedia Specialist
Creative Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Production Co: The Finch Company
Director: Christopher Riggert
DOP: Tim Tregoning
Senior Producer: Jackie Adler
Casting: Felicity Byrne, Byrne Creative
Offline Editor: Drew Thompson, ARC Edit
Colourist: Fergus Rotherham
Online Artist: Andy McKenna, Skirmish
Music Composition: Squeak E. Clean Studios / Turning Studios
Sound Engineer: Paul Le Couteur, Squeak E. Clean Studios
Media: OMD Australia
