In terms of brand recognition, there are a few icons that people know no matter you go: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, AK-47s, and possibly Michael Bay. One character, however, has gained global renown on a level that’s particularly striking since he’s existed only since 1981. A 1990s survey found that he was better known to American children than Mickey Mouse, and with 856 million copies sold, he’s the symbol of the most successful video game franchise of all time.
Nintendo’s Mario, of Super Mario Bros. fame has made his way into numerous childhoods for the past 30 or so years by jumping over blocks, eating mushrooms for strength, gaining extra lives through 1-UPs, and also trying to save the princess in the castle. Our video of the week thus features him in an unusual pairing: Mercedes-Benz outfits the Italian plumber with a GLA for his castle runs against Goombas and Koopas in a rather bizarre take on 8-bit reality.
Koji Kondo’s instantly-recognizable theme takes us straight into the world of…wherever Princess Peach lives and it’s fair to say that with only 30 seconds, the TV spot creates a lasting impression. Enjoy.