For the first-ever Mazda CX-50, a vehicle created with a reverence for nature in mind, Mazda engaged their audience in the most unexpected way – without showing or talking about the vehicle at all.
Working with our friends at VMLY&R, Mazda spent 50 straight hours from Saturday, 3/26 to Monday, 3/28 live streaming an actual live stream, bringing the sights and sounds of mother nature to social feeds around the world.
It was legit an actual stream.
The brand’s channels went live simultaneously across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. 34 million viewers took a break from scrolling and explored the restorative effects of being in nature by watching just this literal stream, hearing running water, birds and wind, broadcast day and night. No added effects. No distracting messaging. Because Mazda’s reverence for nature means respecting what’s already perfect.
And it worked. Viewer sentiment was overwhelmingly positive. And the numbers were incredible. The Live Stream was the longest continuous streaming event to ever appear on YouTube Masthead, translating to 26 million impressions.
REELated: Paola Kudaki directs CoverGirl campaign with America Ferrera
On Twitter, average watch time clocked in at 1:17. Over 2,500 Twitter viewers watched for longer than 30 minutes.
In total, viewers across platforms watched The Live Stream for more than 34 million total minutes — or 6.5 years.
After captivating viewers for 50 straight hours, Mazda concluded the live stream in a manner honoring the way it began, by simply turning off the camera. But the brand extended our stay in nature by letting two of the best kayakers in the world use the CX-50 to take our audience on an immersive, 360˚ video ride along.
