Mazda: Driving Matters

Mazda Motor Corp. is launching a new U.S. advertising campaign around the tagline "Driving Matters."

Building on the company's two-year-old "Game Changers" campaign, which compared Mazda's product innovations to famous inventions, the new ads aim to create a greater emotional connection with consumers.

Mazda says it is targeting a global "psychographic" of people who love to drive, are well informed and interested in collecting experiences rather than material goods. But the company notes that recent studies show just one in four car buyers fall into this category compared with about one-third of consumers in the past.

The new campaign was created by Orange County, Calif.-based Garage Team Mazda. It will debut on Friday with a 60-second spot called "A Driver's Life" that will air on television and in movie theaters nationwide. Narrated by Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, the ad connects a man with the various Mazda vehicles he's owned as he progresses through life.

Another spot will show a fun moment that motorists anticipate on otherwise dull commutes, reinforcing the theme that driving can be a life-enhancing experience even in everyday situations. In a new YouTube video geared toward car enthusiasts, Mazda's next-generation MX-5 Miata is balanced on a fulcrum to illustrate the car's perfect 50:50 weight distribution.