These Days has Mazda MX-5 “spin” vinyl record for Tomorrowland

As of 22 July, the Schorre in Boom (Antwerp region - Belgium) will once again provide the setting for Tomorrowland and this year the popular festival is pleased to greet Mazda as one of its partners. To put this collaboration in the spotlight, Mazda and These Days came up with a unique project: The Sound of Tomorrow is a track performed by drifting on an enormous ‘vinyl record’ with a Mazda MX-5.

With this technological experiment, Mazda creates a spectacular fusion between the car and the festival of the year. Visitors on an interactive website get three chances to recognise the track and perhaps win a unique Tomorrowland Experience.

3D tracking technology and “precision driving” create music

The aim of the experiment is fairly simple: to replace the needle of a record player with a Mazda MX-5 and spin the car instead of the record. The realisation, however, involved a fair bit of technology, precision driving and patience. First the car was mapped in 3D using infrared tracking technology. Linking the result to the car made it possible to determine the position of the Mazda on the gigantic ‘vinyl record’ down to a millimetre. Next a music track was analysed and superimposed on the record in the form of a spiral. The MX-5 then performed the track by drifting over the spiral with pinpoint precision and at the right speed.

Experience Tomorrowland like a real DJ

The experiment is part of an activation campaign giving fans the opportunity to win standard Tomorrowland passes as well as one Full Option DJ Experience. One lucky fan will get to experience the festival as an actual DJ including backstage access, an on-stage DJ set, a luxury overnight stay and even a helicopter flight over the festival grounds. “In giving away this unique prize we were looking to generate the Tomorrowland atmosphere ahead of the actual event” says Tomas Van Loon, copywriter at These Days. “On the website the contestants can not only view clips of the drifting Mazda but they can also adjust the sound channels to make it easier to identify the track” Art Director Gertjan De Smet concludes.

DJ Licious and Jan Wouters on board

To steer the stunt in the right direction both on a musical and driving level, Mazda and These Days enlisted the help of DJ Licious and Belgian race legend Jan Wouters. Hearing Wouters’ drifting noises live allowed the Tomorrowland DJ to make adjustments where necessary. It’s not a coincidence that the Mazda MX-5 was chosen for this stunt: apart from the rear-wheel drive, the car’s fast reaction speed and excellent weight distribution were also indispensable to be able to play the track properly.

Unique link between the automotive and music world

Joachim Sas of Mazda states: “As a partner of Tomorrowland, we wanted to establish an original link between the automotive world and the world of music. The Sound of Tomorrow is a wonderful way of bringing the two together within a relevant framework of technology and innovation. It was extremely important to us not to limit the experiment to a simple parlour trick. We were looking for a feat that could actually be achieved thanks to the precision of our car. These Days called upon Mojuice for the technical realisation of the project.

The ‘making of’ the experiment will be launched on 6^th July, the drifted track itself is to be released on 13^th July

Credits

Campaign Title: The Sound Of Tomorrow

Client: Mazda Belux

Contact: Joachim Sas – Marketing Manager

Agency: These Days

Creation: Gertjan De Smet

Creation: Tomas Van Loon

Creative Direction: Sam De Volder

Strategy: Toon Diependaele

Accounts: Seppe Dogge, Tom Thijs

Design, Graphics: Jeroen Michiels