Mazda has just started a contest in which you can win (US Citizens only) a Mazda CX-7 SUV by playing a simple game in Google Earth. They call it the Mazda CX-7 EarthSearch Sweepstakes. This is a little better than the Fiat contest back during the winter Olympics. In the Mazda contest you are given clues, you then have to zoom in close to look at the satellite photos of the target region at an altitude of 5000 feet or less. Then you should be able to find the hidden location.
After the first clue you are prompted to give your name and address before you can go further with the contest. Also, they only give one more location at this point and will give more locations after May 9th. This is to keep you hooked to playing the game. Whether they got the idea from Fiat or not, it’s yet another example of a company using Google Earth’s popularity as an advertising tool.
Related:
- Mission Impossible III
- British Army on Everest
- Adidas FIFA World Soccer Promotion
- Discovery Channel
- King Kong DVD promotion
- Fiat Torino Olympics promotion
- National Geographics
[EDIT: by the way, I’m carefully moderating the comments to only include hints – no direct answers to clues. Also, to keep the length of the comments down, I have begun excluding most comments which just say “thanks”, or don’t add value to the game or the story.]
About Frank Taylor
Frank Taylor started the Google Earth Blog in July, 2005 shortly after Google Earth was first released. He has worked with 3D computer graphics and VR for many years and was very impressed with this exciting product. Frank completed a 5.5 year circumnavigation of the earth by sailboat in June 2015 which you can read about at Tahina Expedition, and is a licensed pilot, backpacker, diver, and photographer.
US Residents only 🙁
I got the first one of course, but when I click on the “Clue 2” text I get stuck in an endless loop of asking me for my e-mail and password. I don’t see any new clues.
Anybody else?
Because I’m not a US resident, I gave my brother’s name and address. If I win, he can sell the car and send me the cash. Or better yet, buy two motorcycles so that I can ride when I visit.
BTW. Nice looking car and all, but how is it an SUV? And you would think with the price of gas and all, that they would downplay that name.
Whaa.. Couldn’t get the first clue itself…
Searched all over the San Francisco Bay Bridge.. Still no luck 🙁 . Am i totally wrong? or am I searching at the right place?
Oh.. Never mind. Found out the first clue 🙂
I was very near yet so far 🙂
Moving on to the second one atm..
I have the same problem with clue 2. Anyone have a solution, not have the problem, or can just tell me what clue 2 says?
I just clicked continue playing after i signed up. I had to click START Clue 2 in the temporary places pane on the side though.The first clue was way easy. The 2nd i had to watch for it. But still, cool. Not too difficult. It walks you thru a loungy jazz bar. I guess they are supposed to get harder. 5 more to go…
Clue 2 is still not working for me. The same run-around of loging in again and again.
Clue 2 also sends me in the endless loop.
Ok, I completed level 3. I have no idea where to find clue 4. Someone please help out.
Okay, where is this? “Ever since War and Peace took place, angelic voices are heard.”
Working on level 4. Anyone make out what the video clue is showing. I can’t make it out. Looks like some sort of amoeba.
Here’s a couple of new hints from me:
For number 3: Do a search in Wikipedia.org for “humiliores”. What city were they in?
For number 4: Where are the most singing voices heard in Australia?
Ok, I completed level 4 but does anyone know how the clue and hint are at all related to the level 4 location?
It’s an upside down alligator.
Frank, got #4 based on your clue. Still don’t understand the video and clue. Thanks.
Your clue to Number 4 worked for me. After finding it, I looked it up and found a vague reference to War and Peace. How you knew that is beyond me but thanx a bunch.
I knew it was an upside down alligator!!
Hey tomato, it’s right before the golden gate bridge.
HAHA! C’mon it’s a Croc! Crykee……And I found War and Peace was the 1st prod. there. Sneaky reference. I thought it was World War something.
thanks for the #4 hint, frank. i knew it was a crocodile, but the War and Peace bit threw me off.
I still don’t get it. “War and Peace” was a fictional novel written by Tolstoy, set in St Petersburg, Russia during the ‘War of 1812’. What, if anything, does that have to do with Australia?? Is there some sort of connection between Sydney’s “Botany Bay” days of the 1800’s when Australia was used as a British Penal Colony? Or is this somehow related to the movie by the same name filmed in the mid 1950’s?
I agree…very vague reference. I guess that’s where the first opera of War and Peace was performed? I was searching in every church and performing arts center in Moscow. Thank god for the internet and forums.
Frank, thanks for your clue ….. I was about to chew my mousepad in frustration!!!!
We were going crazy trying to figure the clue out and had a Russian history major working on it to no avail. We second the thanks to Frank for getting us on the right track.
I think that the clues will get more and more obscure. I NEVER would have guessed XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX! I was looking near EVERY church in Moscow. St Petersburg has no detail it seems.
I had no problems with hints 1-3. This is a fun game they are playing.
Has anyone started in on clue #5??
Yes, I got it. I suggest you do a screencapture at the right moment during the video hint.
Thanks anyway……….I figured it out. Didn’t need the screen capture, just watched several times and did a google!!
yes, #5 is quite trivial actually, I gues #4 was the strangest one.
I see where you need to freeze the screen and I did but I can’t read it what does the picture thing in the puddle say??
Patton and Monty raced to get their first.
The screen capture would do it, or just play it over and over and over ..
The fifth one is pretty easy. I didn’t do the screen capture like he suggested just watched the silly video about a dozen times!!!
Funny thing… the congratulatory X for hint 5 is placed over a clearly visible red car which is most definately not a Mazda CX-7.
I was looking at St. Petersburg, FL in Gator’s alley. Far away.
Thanks a lot Frank for the #4 clue, that was driving me nuts! The stage version of War and Peace was the first play performed at the theatre when it opened in the 70’s. Pretty obscure.
Does Flash 8 run inside Google Earth inside Firefox? I haven’t seen a video clue yet!
Very cool. Yes that puddle clue happens so fast. The bee rules!! I’m having fun with this. Cool looking car too I guess. I’ll wait for the Speed3 tho. Did anybody think the rock show was harder? I did.
OK so clue #5 was easy for everybody here but me! Aaaargh! Can anybody give me a good clue, I’ve googled myself silly and I’m not finding anything. I’m in Italy now – how far off base am I? Help, please!
im on clue #6 and i still cant find it…. cuz what i see is like a red ball… and i cant get the hint… need help here thanks!
Anyone have any luck with clue #6?
On #5 Lisa…….watched the puddle with the thought in mind that it’s some place in France.
Anyone hinting at #6??
lisa
bees napolean’s symbol
monty and patton never raced to get there it was in only one of their areas so ignore that but General Jacques Leclerc … you have to work a wee bit
clue #6… i think the red ball in the visor is a tomato and since the guy is a snow boarder i think it is a reference to gold medalist shaun white from the US, aka “the flying tomato.”
#6 The clip doesnt do you any good. The real clue is in the hint… Airships mooring
This is pretty fun, but I find it somewhat irritating that the video itself has absolutely nothing to do with the clue. (Unless I’m missing something.) For example, I started looking for ski resorts for clue #6, but the answer has NOTHING to do with skiing at all. (For those who wanted a hint for #6, the red blob is a big apple.)
Yes, I think the airship mooring hint is especially helpful. Especially if you think about the tallest mooring.
Tallest mooring is a VERY helpful. Yes, Big apple. The moving object in the visor is a Tennis court ( U.S open). All point to…..
Thanks for the clues, I finally got #6. If anyone figures out how the location is related to mountains, snow, and skiing, please let me know!
Wow, I thought the video was a red rock. I was searching in Colorado.
Thanks for the apple catch.
Clue #5 Many Thanks to Lori and IRISH! Man alive, that was $#@%% tough!!
This isn’t really accurate…according to Wikipedia, no airships were ever really moored at that location. Photos were altered to create those images. Also, the video clip was useless–looks like a big rock formation–Ayers Rock, Gibraltar, etc.
Regardless, this is a great game idea.
Wow – thanks for all the hints on here. I was completely stuck on the upside down crocodile (or alligator or whatever…)! War & Peace had me in Russia for the longest time but was completely stuck with trying to figure out the reptilian connection. 8oP
As for the apple in the goggles, I got that, but being from the Pacific NW I was going to look here in Washington! lol Once I figured out the BIG apple, I just typed in where I thought it was and Google Earth took me right there. Very cool!!
Good luck on the next clues, everyone!
Well, got all 6. Have to wait until later this week for the 7th clue. Drat!
Just wanted to say thanks to all the helpers, not only for the great clues, but also for not just outright giving out answers. It really is great to get help but still feel like you’re figuring it out yourself.
Taking a screen shot was money for me. It is frustrating how the vids don’t really tie into the clue. When you see someone skiing…doesn’t EVERYONE think of the 6th location? lol
Pumped for number 7! What a cool game idea
Soo…it’s 5:09 on June 1st…where’s the 7th question?!? It’s driving me nuts!!
how do you get out of the loop on clue 2??????!!!!!
Its 10:24 PM and still no 7th clue whats up with that?
Finally, #7 is posted and it has nothing to do with Jackson Hole . . . any ideas?
#7…think baseball
clue is finally out. has a bear in it. im thinking yellowstone or something, but no luck so far. the hint: “Some of the flies there find their holes and others get snared in rawhide traps.”
kind of confusing
Does anyone understand clue 7
Clue #7 is pretty tricky.
Whats up with the bears?
I cant figure out 7!!!
got all 7 done. the game was really fun! hope to see more of them in the future. clue 7 was not too hard, i say that clue 4 was more dificult. i mean, it didn’t look like an aligator. and war and peace, come on!
I literally had to stumble upon it. Look at the “sculpture” in the hallway and “da bears” in the reflection. SNL comes to mind. Good luck!
Here is a hint that helped me out alot, think of ” the windy city”
despite trying and trying 4 and 7 would have stumped me entirely without this site, thanks for the additional clues
On 6 I was getting way too tricky, thinking the apple was the forbidden fruit and going to Beijing’s Forbidden City. All the locations are places that are listed in Google Earth’s Places links so that seems to be a good starting point.
I thought the grand prize winner was going to be selected on July 6th. It is now the 11th and still no word. Has anybody found anything out?
Clever advertising scheme. But just as excting as the Fiat contest.
Did anybody win in this contest?
The FIAT contest was a joke. Pick your dot? Not nearly as cool as this. I had a good time & thought it was a clever use of GE. Advertising or not. 🙂
So who won the Mazda CX7?? its been almost 3 months later… I havent seen or heard of any winners.. was this all real or fake?
Does the winner wants to sell the mazda for a nice price?
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Betty
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I just bought a CX-7 a week ago. So far so good. I’m curious to see what MPG i will get on the first tank. The Bose stereo actually sounds good. The gauges, control, and seat adjustment are all very functional. I’m happy with the car.