Mazda is distributing a short film series across YouTube, TikTok, and Hulu to support the launch of its new CX-5 SUV. The automaker is also considering a theatrical release, according to CMO Brad Audet.

The campaign, titled “5 Sides of the CX-5,” features five short films directed by Paul Hunter, each built around a classic film genre: romance, action, sci-fi, musical, and horror. Actress Jessamie Waldon-Day stars in all five films. Shorter trailer versions are also in distribution.

Audet told The Hollywood Reporter that Mazda used the Academy Awards broadcast to launch the campaign before extending it to digital video platforms. The company is evaluating whether to place the films in movie theater previews during the 2026 summer season, potentially matching them to titles in similar genres.

“Certainly there’s a lot of eyeballs on film over the summer, and looks like this will be a good summer movie season,” Audet said. “So I think that’ll be one of our key initiatives.”

Creative Rationale

Audet said competitive pressure in the SUV segment drove the decision to pursue a non-traditional format. “The CX-5 competes in a highly competitive category where virtually every couple of months there’s an all-new something,” he said. “So we couldn’t just come out with another standard automotive spot, we really needed to do something that broke through.”

The campaign’s target demographic is female, which Audet identified as a factor in selecting film genres as the creative anchor.

Hunter said the production prioritized authentic storytelling over product promotion. “The stories are built around Mazda, but we didn’t want it to feel like it was necessarily pushing like in a traditional commercial,” he said.