EXCLUSIVE: Mazda and Disney Are Big Winners at Oscars With Cinematic Ad Takeover

The Oscars’ Best Picture category may be getting some new entrants—if Mazda has anything to say about it.

In Mazda’s new campaign, “5 Sides of the All-New CX-5,” which debuted during the 2026 Oscars, the car brand created a cinematic universe in honor of the 2026 CX-5.

Through five short films directed by Paul Hunter, shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, and starring Jessamie Waldon Day, the brand showcases different sides of the CX-5 through movie genres, including romance, action, sci-fi, musical, and horror.

The ads were designed to give film fans a cinematic experience outside of the main Oscars broadcast, and a 60-second ad airing during the Academy Awards served as a trailer for the films.

“We had this idea of, ‘Why not do five separate films for the CX-5?’ Because the customer that we’re trying to appeal to not only likes films, but they also lead a multi-dimensional life,” Brad Audet, Mazda’s CMO, said. “These are people who have a lot of things going on in their world, and they have to play different roles. Therefore, the car needs to be a different character.”

Driving the campaign forward

With the CX-5 debuting the same week as the 98th Oscars, Mazda looked to get Disney involved in the process early.

“We’re always thinking about ways where we can leverage and do something unique, and we’ve done this in the past with Disney in different ways,” Audet said. “Rather than waiting until we had an idea baked, we got them involved at the onset.”

According to John Campbell, svp, streaming, entertainment, and multicultural solutions at Disney, the process started with him receiving a late-night text from the creative team behind Mazda’s idea last fall, and things rolled from there.

Among the highlights, the campaign marks Mazda’s debut as an Oscar Silver Sponsor, and the car brand teamed up with both Disney Advertising and AMPAS to align with Disney’s “Oscars Everywhere” strategy.

In addition to the trailer airing in the main show, the fully integrated sponsorship will also extend across TikTok Pulse Premiere, social channels, and a Hulu Takeover, including an ad selector that lets viewers choose which Mazda ad genre they want to see.

Some variations of the short films will debut on Oscar night, with more rolling out until April 1. But the campaign also has a philanthropic element.

As part of the campaign, the brand collaborated with the AMPAS Academy Gold Program, a talent development initiative for the next generation of filmmakers, bringing two Academy Gold alumni on the set of the Mazda commercials.

“Mazda didn’t just want to come in advertising during the Oscars. They wanted to support the future of filmmaking, and that is really important to The Walt Disney Company, as well as AMPAS, and what we seek from partners,” Campbell said. “That doesn’t happen every day.”

As the Academy Gold alumni interacted and collaborated with accomplished filmmakers on set, Disney CreativeWorks captured behind-the-scenes footage. These behind-the-scenes moments were turned into four custom social creatives that will complement Mazda’s campaign and align with the brand’s “Be Moved” mentorship initiative.

Meredith Shea, AMPAS chief membership, impact, and industry officer, who oversees the Academy Gold program, noted that AMPAS was proud to work with Mazda as it looks to “uplift and inspire the next generation so they can envision a future on the Oscars stage.”

Coming soon

Campbell said the collaboration had many moving parts and required trusted partners to pull it off. But it’s that kind of impact that brands are looking for, especially as live events continue to stand out as appointment viewing.

“CMOs want to go beyond just reach, and they want relevance. They want cultural connection, and they want proof that it works,” Campbell said.

Noting the enthusiasm around live tentpole events, Campbell said more Oscars ad units than ever were sold in the previous upfront, and brands are starting brainstorms a lot sooner in order to be closer to the IP and make an impact beyond 30-second spots.

According to Campbell, the live-event enthusiasm is already affecting 2027, with brands engaging Disney in conversations about the 99th Oscars. It adds to Disney’s expectations of a big kick-off to next year, with the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T, the 69th Grammys, Super Bowl LXI, and the Oscars all happening within weeks of each other.

“As we lead into Q1 2027, there are brands looking to take big creative swings with us and find ways to be able to link across film, sport, and music, and what does that look like for their fandoms? And what does it look like for our fandoms?” Campbell said. “We’re in a lot of rooms ideating right now on what we could potentially bring to life when we have this opportunity to really own the moment for that eight-week period.”

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