Sources close to the client said Saatchi & Saatchi won the account following its presentation at a review in Changchun last week.
It is believed that Saatchi & Saatchi's creative idea was based on Mazda's steering control that has earned the automaker the nickname of 'the king of road corners' in the Chinese market.
The agency is expected to service the brand's CX-7 and Mazda 6 models. The scope of work is said to include ATL, BTL and digital.
The client wanted to ensure it was properly positioned for substantial growth in China, and found its incumbent agency to be exerting efforts on account-servicing rather than creativity, said sources.
However, it will not sever ties with DMG, which will reportedly still help the client cultivate campaigns for its Mazda 8 MPV.