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For New Mazda Launch, ECAL Students Turn Purple
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Technology

For New Mazda Launch, ECAL Students Turn Purple

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources New plan
  • Mazda chose a dark purple called Nightfall Violet instead of its familiar red for the launch of the all-electric CX-6e crossover.
  • The company said the color drew inspiration from a Japanese sunset and was intended to give the vehicle a contemporary, futuristic identity.
  • Mazda commissioned students from Lausanne’s ECAL to create promotional objects for Swiss dealerships and help explain the branding change.

Mazda is abandoning the red associated with its cars for the launch of the CX-6e, its first fully electric crossover. The Hiroshima-based company has offered vehicles in around 40 shades of red since the 1960s.

For the new model, it selected a deep purple that can appear almost black depending on how the body catches the light. Bahram Partaw, chief designer at Mazda Motor Europe, said the idea came from observing a Japanese sunset. The color, called Nightfall Violet, also draws on the association between purple and nobility in Asian culture, reinterpreted for what Mazda describes as a contemporary electric vehicle.

We wanted something special for the launch of this new model.

— Bahram PartawMazda Motor Europe’s chief designer explained why the company sought a new color for the electric crossover.

Because changing a signature color can alter how customers read a brand, Mazda asked students from the master’s program in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship at the École cantonale d’art de Lausanne to develop promotional objects for Swiss dealerships. The project was intended to support the new visual identity and avoid confusion among buyers.

Designer Alexis Tourron said carmakers have changed their palettes for major model launches, citing Lamborghini and Jaguar. He also pointed to failed examples, including Jaguar’s 2024 Type 00 concept in fuchsia and lagoon blue, which drew an immediate backlash. Valentino similarly returned to its familiar red after trying pink. The ECAL students had five months to develop Mazda’s launch materials.

The customers can choose the color of their Ford T, provided it is black.

— Henry FordThe historical remark illustrates the commercial power of car color.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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