In its Super Bowl debut back in February 2016, Pokemon scored big on YouTube and pre-game hype, paving the way for its hugely popular Pokemon Go! augmented reality game.
Ahead of the big game, an extended version of the spot premiered on YouTube, and it makes the case that Pokémon truly is our global game.
The ad shows Pokemon trainers around the world, honing their skills before competing in a massive arena, where creatures like Charizard, Magneton and Gyarados do battle while Pikachu watches from the comfort of a couch.
A 30-second version of the ad will air during the third quarter of Super Bowl 50, and is part of a year-long campaign to mark the franchise’s 20th anniversary.
The Pokémon advert was picked up by eager fans on YouTube and racked up over 17 million views, while conversation on Twitter was steady with 29,648 mentions. Loyal Pokémon fans managed to steer conversation away from the ad and used the opportunity to ask Pokémon about the next game release.
The ad was Pokémon’s Superbowl debut but also celebrated their 20 year anniversary – this gave a great opportunity for brand engagement, with brands such as Doritos creating special content.
Fans engaged with Pokémon’s superbowl content, but the brand focused on the SuperBowl entertainment, and slipping in Pokémon references to generate buzz before the ad launched (i.e. Hats backwards, Trainers! It’s game time! #SB50) – overall, Pokémon conversation drove 4% net sentiment (automated).