Mazda under fire for "crass commercialization" of Dr. Seuss' Lorax [w/video]

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Crossover, Mazda

Over on Twitter, we recently had a discussion over whether or not it was fair for the cinematic version of Dr. Seuss' Lorax to be out shilling for the Mazda CX-5. Turns out, we're not the only ones who question the logic here - the Lorax speaks for the trees, not Skyactiv CUVs, right? Seemingly of like minds, an organization called Rethinking The Automobile is circulating a petition to "Protect The Lorax" by pulling the "offensive" ads.

Rethinking the Automobile is a project of OpenPlans and their petition reads, in part:

in these advertisements Mazda and Universal claim that a new automobile is "Certified Truffula Tree Friendly" and imply an endorsement of their product by the cherished title character of "The Lorax." By airing these advertisements, Mazda and Universal have shamelessly turned a character who has inspired millions of children to care about their environment into a car salesman. Cars--even ones that pollute a little less--are neither kid-friendly nor good for the environment.

This movie Lorax's message, Rethinking The Automobile says, runs counter to "the spirit and message of Dr. Seuss' acclaimed book" and is nothing more than "crass commercialization."

The whole thing is blowing up on Twitter, too, thanks to the #savelorax hashtag and a creature for speaks for the petition, the Zozo. The Zozo is also into "smart transportation solutions including walking, biking, and transit so that kids can grow up in a world with safe, healthy, livable, walkable communities. Zozo works with kids to fix the harm that automobile traffic does to our world."

It isn't immediately clear how many people Rethinking The Automobile represents - a check of its website reveals that the organization was started by a self-described serial entrepreneur, Mark Gorton, who is an advocate for "livable streets."

One thing is clear, however - the CX-5 might be one of the most fuel-efficient crossovers on the market and it may be winning friends among reviewers, but clearly not everyone is pleased... at least with Mazda's marketing efforts. Click past the jump to watch the commercial in question.

Continue reading Mazda under fire for "crass commercialization" of Dr. Seuss' Lorax [w/video]

Mazda under fire for "crass commercialization" of Dr. Seuss' Lorax [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/02/29/mazda-under-fire-for-crass-commercialization-of-dr-seuss-lor/

Rupert Keegan Eddie Keizan Al Keller Joe Kelly Dave Kennedy