The Pokemon series is one of the most beloved creations for children ever. The line featured games, anime, books, toys, cards, basically anything you could Pokemon on, it was made. While it’s not at it’s creative heights of the late 90’s, earlier 2000’s, Pokemon is still going on strong.
With Pokemon’s 20th anniversary around the corner, the company has launched a new ad campaign and opened their wallets big to get a spot in for next’s month’s Super Bowl.
The ad doesn’t really work for me. It’s gorgeous visually, and features some impressive animations, but boy does it miss the point. A majority of the advertisement is spent following kids getting inspired and saying “I can do that,” whether they’re watching a Poke-battle, playing chess or football. Again, all really well shot, but where the heck are the Pokemon?
Just under 50 seconds in we finally get an amazing visual of a Pokemon battle featuring Charizard, Magneton, Gyarados and more. A Pokemon trainer throws his Pokeball, and the battle begins. The commercial pans to a kid and a dad (with a Pikachu) watching the fight on the big screen, as his dad whispers “you can do that” to him as things go full circle. The last 10 seconds are glorious, and I’d give the ad a 10/10 if the whole spot featured shots like it. However, a large chunk of the ad is Pokemonless and feels like a Nike ad.
These last 10 seconds are glorious, and I’d give the ad a 10/10 if the whole spot featured shots like it. However, a large chunk of the ad is Pokemonless and feels like a Nike ad. Pokemon missed a really big opportunity to dial the nostalgia up, and instead made a safe, unforgettable (until the last 15 or so seconds) spot. It’s a total bummer.
