Mazda Motor Deal With Time Warner for Ads Reported

Mazda Motor of America Inc., the Irvine-based importer of Mazda autos and trucks, has signed a three-year advertising deal worth as much as $96 million with Time Warner Inc., a published report said Monday.

The trade journal Advertising Age said the three-year deal, involving Mazda advertising in magazines and books and on television programs, will be built around the theme “The Meaning of Life.”

Mazda officials declined comment on the story pending a news briefing set for today in New York. Time Warner also declined comment, deferring to Mazda.

Ad Age said Mazda will buy space in Time Warner’s magazines, including Time, People, Sports Illustrated, Money, Fortune, Entertainment, Sunset, Southern Living and Parenting. Other elements of the package include syndicated or cable TV programming and a book Mazda will use as a marketing tool to draw people to showrooms, the report said.

Chrysler Corp. signed a $40-million deal with Time Warner for two years in the fall of 1990 and General Motors Corp. bought an $80-million package from Time Warner last year.