The Pokémon Company Internationaltoday unveiled a new TV commercial that will air duringSuper Bowl 50on Sunday, February 7. The ad, shot in Rio de Janeiro, explores ambition, drive, and training, concepts that everyPokémonTrainer is familiar with. It celebrates the millions ofPokemonfans around the world who will enjoy identifying all of the hidden Pokémon references in the ad. It ends with a call to action for all those who strive to achieve their dreams: Train On. A 30-second version of the ad will be aired at the beginning of the third quarter ofSuper Bowl 50, but you can check out the extended version below. Here’s what J.C. Smith, senior director of Consumer Marketing at ThePokemonCompany International, had to say in a statement.
The ad is part of a yearlong campaign celebrating 20 years ofPokemon. First introduced in Japan in 1996 with the video gamesPokemonRed andPokemonGreen for theNintendoGame Boy system, Pokémon has delighted fans of all ages around the world for two decades. With more than 275 millionvideo gamessold worldwide, 21.5 billion TCG cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 18 seasons,Pokemonis one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world. More details can be found atPokemon.com/20. Fans visiting the site throughout the year will find information about monthly MythicalPokemondistributions, retail events, special products, messages from some ofPokemon’s biggest fans, and the upcomingPokemonPhoto Booth app.Pokemon. Twenty years. Train On.
In addition to all of these great ways to celebrate 20 years ofPokemon, there is much more to come in 2016. This spring, Pokkén Tournament (Pokemon.com/PokkenTournament) for the Wii U console will bringPokemonto life in a way never seen before:Pokemonbattle in direct response to the player’s actions.PokemonGO (Pokemon.com/GO), a ground-breaking mobile game that will encourage fans to search far and wide in the real world to discoverPokemon, launches later this year. To coincide withPokemonDay on February 27, Nintendo will also make some of their best-selling Pokémon amiibo available again, at select retailers only. Fans should be on the lookout for Charizard, Jigglypuff, Greninja, and Lucario to join Pikachu at stores nationwide.
Beginning in January and continuing throughout the year, 12 full-lengthPokemonfeature films will be available for digital download from iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. Among the releases will be digitally remastered versions ofPokemon: The First Movieand Pokemon The Movie 2000: The Power of One and Pokemon 3: The Movie. In addition, Pokémon TV, available onPokemon.com, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire platforms, will feature one film title per month to align with otherPokemonbrand activities. The first threePokemonfilms will also be available in both DVD and Blu-ray formatted bundles from licensee Viz Media. A 48-page interactive digital reader will accompanyPokemon: The First Movieand can be viewed on any device that supports iBooks, including Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
ThePokemonCompany International, a subsidiary of ThePokemonCompany in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, thePokemonTrading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the officialPokemonwebsite.Pokemonwas launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visitPokemon.com. Take a look at theSuper Bowl 50ad below, and stay tuned for more updates onPokemon’s 20th Anniversary celebration.
