Mazda Takes Its Museum Online

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NEW YORK, Jan. 12 -- Known for its design and technology heritage, Mazda Motor Corporation is offering consumers an inside look at its many automotive firsts though an online museum (www.mazdamuseum.com) developed and created by longtime interactive agency partner Sarkissian Mason.

The online museum brings the existing Mazda Museum at the Company's Hiroshima Design Center to life using a combination of flash and broadband video. Visitors can scroll back in time to learn about Mazda milestones in automotive history from its LeMans winning RX-7 to the development of the Rotary Engine, a transformative moment in car technology.

The creative team at Sarkissian Mason spent months painstakingly photographing Mazda's heritage and futuristic car designs from multiple angles, allowing consumers to see the unique features of each car as if they were actually on site at the Museum. Visitors can look watch video clips of designers talking about how cars are developed and view 30 of Mazda's top cars up close.

"Mazda has been a pioneer in exploring the online space as a medium to build its brand with its core consumer," explained Patrick Sarkissian, CEO of Sarkissian Mason. "This site builds on other interactive efforts by providing an in-depth site where Mazda devotees can spend time learning more about the company, the cars and its breakthrough engineering."

Since 1920, Mazda's Hiroshima Factory and been known as one of the premier design centers in the automotive industry. It also houses an existing on-site Museum that the Sarkissian Mason team used as a blueprint to build the online Museum.

"Mazda stands out among its competitors for its deep roots as an innovator and design-based company," said Rudy Privitelli, Group Manager, Relationship Marketing. "Putting our Museum online is a way to celebrate our design heritage and to remind our consumers of our many firsts."

Featured cars include concept, classic and innovative cars including the 1967 Cosmo Sport, the MX-5 Miata, the 1991 787B, the only Japanese car to win at LeMans and many others. The site's "Special Exhibition" section will also house concept cars revealed during the 2007 auto show season.