In this series, features and series developer Heather Nicholls takes you behind the scenes of some of the most compelling brand activations and events.
In the twentieth edition we meet, brand experience agency Yellow Fish , the agency behind Mazda’s activation at CarFest 2025.
The brief:
The brief was to create a space that would give festival-goers an exciting first look at the all-new Mazda 6e, its debut appearance in the UK, whilst also elevating the brand’s presence and visibility across the festival.
In previous years, the brand had observed that when vehicles were displayed on plinths, audiences couldn’t meaningfully interact with them and tended to move on quickly. Yellow Fish’s task was to reimagine the experience: to design an environment that encouraged longer, more engaging interactions with the car, and team of ambassadors, strengthened Mazda’s on-site visibility, and prioritised genuine connection rather than relying on giveaways for attention.
The execution:
Laura Pace, managing director at Yellow Fish said: “The development process for this activation was far from linear.” The agency begun by fully immersing itself in the in the brand to identify with key stakeholders the core objectives, products and key messages that it wanted to bring to life, before then considering how to maximise presence across the venue itself.
Although Mazda wasn’t a headline sponsor of the festival, the brand was keen to maximise its visibility across the festival, alongside the flagship stand. Mazda sponsored the StarFest Stage, which featured a standour comedy lineup including Rob Brydon and Lee Mack. Mazda also introduced a Mazda CX-30 “doodle car”, which became a dynamic, interactive installation where children were encouraged to colour it in and performers added their signatures throughout the festival. Pace explained: “These layered touchpoints helped extend the brand’s presence well beyond the main activation point.”
Throughout the process, YellowFish collaborated closely with the Mazda UK team, from shaping the overarching concept to delivering the full suite of activations. Pace said: “Responsibility was shaped seamlessly: YF led on creative and production elements, while Mazda retained ownership of others. To ensure authenticity, our team immersed themselves deeply in the product, attending dealership training sessions and exploring the brand’s heritage to become true experts.”
The agency also worked hand in hand with suppliers and festival organisers, sharing the creative vision and refining the stand’s design, layout and flow in response to their insights. This collaborative approach ensured that every stakeholder was aligned, resulting in an activation that felt cohesive, intentional and true to the brand.
Pace said: “The inspiration for the activation came directly from Mazda’s roots – it’s strong dsign heritage and craftmanship philosophy, deeply embedded in Japanese culture. We wanted the space to feel authentically connected to the brand’s origin story, so we drew on traditional architectural forms, materials and textures that subtly echo Jampan’s design langauge, rather than replicate it literally.”
Equally, the agency gathered insights from within Mazda UK by speaking with dealership teams and product experts and gained deeper understanding of what consumers value during real-world interactions with the vehicles. Pace explained: “Their knowledge helped shape not only the look and feel of the stand but also the flow of the experience, ensuring it aligned with how people naturally explore the cars. This blend of cultural inspiration and on-the ground expertise formed the backbone of the concept, grounding the activation in both authenticity and relevance.”
The biggest challenge of pulling off this activation was the wider industry uncertainty triggered by newly introduced US tariffs in 20265, which has far-reaching implications across the automotive sector. Pace said: “The ripple effects of these changes directly influenced our planning process. We worked closely with the brand to navigate shifting budgets and priorities, adapting our approach without compromising the integrity of the design or the quality of the consumer experience.”
Yellow Fish reflected Mazda’s Japanese heritage in the design through subtle yet authentic cues, from the colour palette to the architectural form of the structure which was inspired by shōji screens with their clean lines and lattice framework.
These design elements carried through to the textured and materials used in the props and dressing, creating a cohesive aesthetic. Even the bespoke cocktail was crafted to echo these influences, helping to build a multilayered storytelling experience that felt both immersive and true to Mazda’s roots.
The result:
Pace said: “The activation was a real success, delivering exactly the kind of meaningful engagement the brand was aiming for. Festival-goers were drawn in by the striking, Japanese-inspired design, but it was the opportunity to get hands-on with the vehicles – and have genuine, knowledgeable conversations with Mazda’s own team – that kept them in the space. Dwell times were noticeably longer than in previous years, and the atmosphere felt open, welcoming, and highly interactive.”
Beyond the flagship stand, Mazda’s presence across the festival made a significant impact. The StarFest stage sponsorship helped ampofy visibility, while the CX-30 doodle car also became an unexpected highlight, attracting families, performers and passers by throughout the weekend. Pace said: “Together, these touchpoints created a cohesive brand experience that felt both immersive and authentic, reinforcing Mazda’s story and leaving a lasting impression on audiences.”
Commenting on Mazda’s involvement in this year’s CarFest, Mazda UK, marketing director, James Crouch, said: “Carfest was the perfect place to showcase our new all-electric Mazda6e to the UK public for the first time. This car marks a bold step into Mazda’s electric future”.
He added “As partners of The StarFest Stage and Club CarFest, alongside the Mazda6e debut on the Mazda stand, we also showcased a selection of cars from across the Mazda range at the Starfest stage giving festival goers the chance to find out more about Mazda’s multi-solution approach to drivetrain technology.”
He continued: “We were really happy with the response to the Mazda6e, and even the iconic MX-5 received a lot of attention over the weekend, with over 30,000 people a day attending the festival it was a fantastic opportunity to introduce Mazda and the all-new Mazda6e to an enthusiastic crowd at the same time as supporting an event that raises money for a selection of amazing children’s charities.”
He finished: “The stand was a key element to our presence, reflecting our brand perfectly and giving many festival attendees a new perspective on Mazda. The stand stood out and created a welcoming environment for visitors where they could interact with Mazda in a friendly and constructive way with informed and passionate people.”
Pace said: “Mazda was delighted, saying ‘this stand was head and shoulders above the rest’ but the real value to us was the way the visitors interacted with the brand.” YellowFish staffed the stand with Mazda employees, people who had passion for the brand , that live and breathe the brand every day and are true ambassadors. Combine that passion with a stand that they could be proud of, one that stood out as the best automotive stand at the festival and it gave them the confidence, the energy to really engage positively with festival visitors. Many visitors commented on how our stand not only stood out as a physical presence but also because of the passion and knowledge of the people staffing it.”