The South By Southwest Festival, or SXSW, is still month away from kicking off, but that isn’t stopping it from revving its engine with a new sponsor.
Mazda’s North American Operations has announced that it has signed a three-year partnership with the yearly festival, which takes place in Austin, Texas. The deal will run through 2017 starting with the next event, which will take place between March 13 and 22, according to Mediapost.
“After spending time at last year’s SXSW in Austin, we knew it was the right fit for the Mazda brand and were eager to expand upon our presence moving forward,” said Russell Wager, VP marketing for the automaker’s U.S. operation. “Music, Film and technology are passion points for Mazda customers and our official partnership with the festival will allow us to connect with them on a deeper level, in one of the most forward-thinking environments around.”
Mazda will act as the official automotive sponsor for the event, which also features promotional partners such as Monster Energy, IFC, Miller Lite, and Esurance AT&T. And that’s also not including the other promotional events that happen around the festival, such as Oreo’s Grab & Go campaign, as well as the Samsung TechSet Blogger Lounge.
This isn’t the first time that Mazda has taken part in a stylish campaign, as it previously had a campaign surrounding the 25th anniversary of its Miata model, and its new MX-5 Miata. The special, Fashion Rocks, aired in CBS during Fashion Week in New York, and drew big performers, including Pitbull, J. Lo and Usher, among others.
Clearly, SXSW is a big move forward for the company, and more than likely, we’ll see more advertising for the new 2016 MX-5 from it, including possible digital tie-ins similar to what Fashion Rocks had earlier in the year, per the live promotional site {link no longer active].
