Nintendo on why it decided to advertise Switch during the Super Bowl
Nintendo revealed today that it will have a commercial airing during the Super Bowl for the first time ever as a means of promoting Switch.
Speaking with TIME, Nintendo marketing boss Nick Chavez explained why it decided to air the ad during the big sporting event, noting: “There’s no bigger stage in the U.S. on which to showcase the platform. I think it speaks to our confidence in the system.”
Chavez also spoke about the audience for the commercial: “Think about your 40- to 45-year-old parent who has really fond memories of playing Zelda growing up, sitting there watching Super Bowl with their 10- or 12-year-old child who maybe hasn’t experienced Zelda yet.”
Chavez added that the commercial was inspired by feedback from Switch’s announcement video last year
“We heard from U.S. gamers that they were tremendously excited about the proposition [of Switch], and that they couldn’t wait to experience the power of a home console portably within their own homes. Not only inside the home and outside, but just moving from room to room.”
As for the future, Chavez promises much more to come in terms of Nintendo’s promotional efforts for Switch:
“This isn’t just a six to eight week launch campaign. This is really a 15 month campaign for us, to say nothing of our plans for 2018. You’re going to see a number of other touch points, including additional 30 or 60 second executions in the coming weeks that emphasize the full proposition, meaning those multiple demographics, including kids, teenagers, young adults, parents, active gamers, casual gamers and so forth.”
