Mazda’s Soul of Motion holds auto photo buffs captive

Nine supermodels for the day, never stopping even at rest

MANILA, Philippines–Japanese automotive brand Mazda has, time and again, proven how feisty an animal it is in a jungle of lumbering beasts. Its emblem itself shows how poised for action it is, like a wing stretched for take-off. One can barely guess that Mazda’s origins can be traced back to a cork-flooring firm started by Jujiro Matsuda, who somehow made that unexpected shift to automotive manufacturing.

In the 1960s, it progressed from manufacturing small kei cars for local markets to producing vehicles for overseas territories. Even Ward’s Automotive Yearbook declared during the 1970s that “practically every major automaker in the world, including General Motors, Ford and Mercedes, is trying to develop cars like the Mazda,” while veteran auto journalist Tony Lewin also quoted the Yearbook when he said “by 1980, rotary engines (of 1970s-era Mazda) will power 85 percent of all cars produced in the USA.” By the time Mazda went in, and out, of a global partnership with Ford, Mazda Motor Corp. was already “zoom-zooming” its way to 21st century dynamism.

In the Philippines, Mazda has been rolling out one out-of-the-box idea after another. Late in 2014, it made automotive history when it collaborated with the Miata Club to turn over MX-5 25th anniversary edition roadsters to owners.

Workshops

Shooting the lensmen (and women)

Last week, Mazda Philippines (Berjaya Auto Philippines) engaged 27 motoring scribes across media platforms (online and print) in an interactive automotive photography workshop in order to convey its automotive masterpieces’ design language: Mazda’s “Kodo—Soul of Motion” and the SkyActiv technology. The workshops were held at the picturesque Green Canyon Resort in the Clark Special Economic Zone in Pampanga.

Photography and the principle of Kodo are a perfect match. Berjaya Auto Philippines president and CEO Steven Tan explained what the Kodo Soul of Motion is: Mazda’s design philosophy “focuses on the speed, tension, and allure found in instantaneous animal movement, a motion so full of vitality that it stirs the emotions of those who see it.” Needless to say, Kodo is best captured in the expert hands of lensmen.

Kodo makes car design dynamic, even while the subject is standing still.

For this activity, automotive photographer extraordinaire Mikko David was tapped to spearhead the workshops and officiate the ensuing friendly photo competition.

During the workshops, David shared the basic rules, quick tips, and tricks for capturing great automotive photos in three categories: the basic pose, details, and motion. After every category workshop, the participants—who were grouped into nine teams—went out to apply what they learned by engaging their assigned Mazda cars (Mazda 3, CX-5 and Mazda 6) in a photo session around Green Canyon Resort.

Each participant was asked to use his/her own camera. Mazda’s camera partner Fujifilm Philippines provided a limited number of their SLR cameras for the event. At the end of the day, all participants submitted their best photo from each category.

Even a diminutive hot hatch can be a shooting gallery.

A joy to shoot

The three Mazda models were a joy to shoot, and the Kodo design principle just made the exercise even more fun. The Kodo spirit, however, was already hovering about as early in 2005 when the automaker started a new design language called “Nagare” (roughly translated as “flow”). According to Lewin, this design language was displayed on a succession of concept cars, and added a whole new identity to production vehicles, beginning with the 2010 Mazda5 minivan.

Unveiled during the first of its new concept vehicles at the LA Auto Show in 2006, Nagare-designed cars possessed that dramatic futuristic wedge-like shape and an unusual exterior body form with textured surface elements. At the time the famous “Zoom-zoom” tagline was popularized, Mazda communicated the promise of an exciting and emotional motoring experience for Mazda drivers.

Taming an elusive animal

“How to Design Cars Like a Pro” cited (during that time, Mazda was led by then Global Design director Laurens van den Acker) that Mazda felt it needed to communicate its brand image better. The design studio set out to capture the driving spirit embodied in “Zoom-zoom” into a new, bolder design language, and to communicate such emotion even when the cars were stationary. Such dramatic and fundamental shifts in the reimagining of automotive brands are relatively rare, and risky, because they could have alienated existing customers.

Passion shoots through the roof.

Nagare has evolved to Kodo, an elegant demeanor that hints of the character beneath: an appearance that oozes charm and sophistication, ready to sweep you off your feet at a moment’s notice. It’s the kind of design that sets your heart a-flutter even before you’ve turned the ignition key.

The Kodo design theme can be seen and felt in the Mazda3, Mazda6, Mazda CX-5, all-new Mazda2 and all-new Mazda CX-3.