As much as we may moan about it, automotive marketing is a powerful force. A good ad or marketing campaign can be a hugely influential factor in the success of a car, and perhaps more importantly for a car brand. The average person isn’t likely to be innately drawn to consuming automotive media with any sense of regularity, so how are they supposed to find out about a new company or a new car?
Ads, that’s how. Shoving ads down their throats, whether they’re obviously peddling their wares or subliminally planting seeds in the minds of consumers. We’re talking about broadcast commercials, paid partnerships with celebrities or social media influencers, product placement in films, video games, or TV shows, radio ads, or even good old fashioned print ads in magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals. One of the best ways for automakers to weasel their way into the minds of the masses is through catchy jingles or slogans, and that’s what we want to hear from you, dear reader! What’s your favorite car company slogan? Sound off in the comments below.
My favorite company slogan is Mazda’s iconic Zoom-Zoom era
I’m a late millennial, as much as I hate to admit it, but that means I grew up watching broadcast television, and all the unskippable commercials that came along with that. I have fond memories of trying to adjust the bunny-ear antennae on my beloved Grandpa’s CRT TV so I could watch PBS in the morning before elementary school, so yeah I’m basically a dinosaur. In those ancient times, I distinctly remember jamming out to one specific car company’s catchy jingle, and that was Mazda’s Zoom-Zoom era.
Beyond the catchy jingle, I also consumed as much automotive media as possible, so I remember reading reviews and comparison tests of Mazda’s early 2000s models and absorbing all the glowing, flowery language used to describe their driving dynamics. Every single category that Mazda competed in, its cars were the ones that offered the best driving experience, so the Zoom-Zoom era was more than just marketing jargon, it was a rare combo of recognizable branding that reflected reality. Along with that, its print ads were about driving excitement too, complete with the emblematic Y2K photo signature of blurred urban lights behind a fish-eye shot with just the car in focus, which conveyed speed and excitement to my adolescent brain.
I loved Mazda’s ethos of prioritizing fun and driver involvement, and the playful, memorable Zoom-Zoom slogan, and I’ll likely never forget it. What about you, though? What’s your favorite car company slogan?
