Circuit City (NYSE: CC) said Monday that it will be giving away 30 Mazda cars along with other prizes in a new "Drive to 65" marketing promotion in partnership with Mazda. At the doorstep of the new promotion will be a Mazda CX-9 crossover vehicle.

Circuit City is obviously trying to get on the holiday bandwagon in a big way, and this promotion is a great attempt at revival from the nation's second-largest independent consumer electronics retailer. Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) are both trying to beat Circuit City into the ground, and if the last few quarters from the company are any indication, its larger competitors are succeeding.



"Drive to 65" is actually in reference to Circuit City's opening of 65 new stores this year, and the company will be giving away a free car every day through December 3. I'm not sure what Circuit City is paying Mazda for this promotion, but it's a gamble that will probably pay off in getting Circuit City in customers' collective holiday shopping minds. In addition to cars, standard electronics items like iPods, speakers, cameras and GPS units will be given away in the collection of more than 100 prizes included in this promotion.

Will this drive more business to the nation's No. 2 consumer electronics retailer? The accountants responsible for approving the check to Mazda probably have a few spreadsheets that show break-even points for the holiday shopping season as it relates to this giveaway, and with two larger competitors at its throat, Circuit City needs all the help it can get to boost this quarter's results. But regardless of how profitable this is to the retailer, there will be 30 happy new car owners come the first of December, natch.