Nintendo’s ad campaigns offer fans all over the world a pretty fun mix of typical promo materials for beloved games and fascinating teases that cause the community to speculate about the tiniest details presented through imagery. This week alone, we were treated to a promo that had us wondering if Final Fantasy VII could become available in the eShop within the next two months.
And now it looks like the appreciation for ad designs isn’t stopping there.
For those who grew up during the ‘80s and ‘90s, you can probably easily remember that we were bombarded with ads in all sorts of places. In a pre-YouTube world, TV commercials and print ads were the norm. These still exist today, but mainly we skip over that kind of promotional content whenever it is possible.
In Japan, Nintendo always advertises throughout the country’s public transportation. Massive banners featuring an upcoming game release is pretty common. Recently though, a new, different ad has been spotted:
New Switch ads in Tokyo train stations pic.twitter.com/bfQzHDtzYL
— Forkball (@ForkballMono) February 1, 2019
Twitter user @ForkballMono tweeted the above photo showing Mario playing a Nintendo Switch. This particular ad stands out. Maybe it’s because we’ve mainly seen Mario with Cappy or a 3D render of his character model most recently, instead of this throwback style more inspired by the ‘90s and ‘00s. Personally speaking, the first example that came to my mind was Super Mario Advance series box art. As you can see from even more visual examples shared below, Nintendo’s going above and beyond when it comes to pushing forward into new creative territories while celebrating styles that are still loved to this day.
Rarely seen ad for a 1992 game seminar and lecture hosted by Nintendo. Mario is kindly asking critics not to attend. pic.twitter.com/jBWYHSmcW8
— VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits) January 26, 2019
Super Mario Bros. 3 – Famicom ad.
The screenshots in the back seem to be from a pre-release version of the game. It looks like Morton had a different color pallet initially, and the layout of his room is slightly different. pic.twitter.com/TIvvbxwY3m
— VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits) November 15, 2018
Shigeru Miyamoto interview from the 1991 book “Mario Mania” – the official Super Mario World strategy guide.
Also included is isolated and cleaned art of Yoshi’s concept sketch from the upper left corner of the third page. pic.twitter.com/jzO9SkqY5w
— VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits) October 11, 2018
Super Mario artwork created for the official Nintendo magazine in Germany, Club Nintendo. pic.twitter.com/j2HFi5fPpu
— VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits) September 27, 2018
It’s pretty fantastic to see the plumber in his “OG” 2D look! It’s like the past and present are coming together to really solidify where Nintendo stands with new and old fans alike.
Leave a Comment
Written by Jennifer Burch
Illustrator, designer, writer and big Nintendo geek, you can find Jennifer with an N3DS within reach 24/7. As the oldest of three, she has survived many Mario Party, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart sessions intact in addition to getting her brothers hooked on some really weird games. (Cubivore anyone?)
