video game commercials

[ReturnofMCH]

let's talk about something underrated in terms of video game marketing: commercials. they have run the gamut of the controversial, the clever, the creepy, the unrepresentative, or the weird
I'll use an example of each category I just mentioned


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM-s5C0dnZs
the unrepresenative


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FybA0SaL0nI
the creepy


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bun8tA_ksZw
the controversial


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_fPtazfALA
the clever


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L65VrvcVNM
the weird

 

[prog rocker]

I think another example of unrepresentative would be that EarthBound commercial that was apparently shown on some stores, where it was just Ness, Porky Pokey and Picky walking with some narration playing.

On the controversial side, I think there's a Game.com commercial that said it had more games than you have braincells. Because insulting your possible customers is always a good idea /s.

 

[c.kilgannon]

Is there a category for the 'still haunts you to this day' lol. if so, I would like to nominate the God of War: Ascension trailer that aired during one of the Superbowls DX

 

[Tactician Karina]

These Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age commercials had nothing to do with the respective games:

Golden Sun




The Lost Age (I think the dragon is supposed to be Tiamat but otherwise has nothing else to do with the game)

 

[Lylian]

That first Golden Sun commercial is epic, and a bit weird.

 

[Chidamari Sketch]

Spoiler: such happy friends

 

[prog rocker]

Now I get where the "American Kirby Is Hardcore" trope originated.

 

[ReturnofMCH]

I dunno about you, but I always found the "wii would like to play" ad campaign from 2006 to be particularly interesting

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p7uJp25BlE

 

[Juliyet]

Pole Position for the Atari 2600 has a pretty insane and hilarious one.

Spoiler: Pole Position (Atari 2600) (FLASHING LIGHT WARNING)

One of the comments on this upload mentioned that this was commissioned by MTV, and honestly, yeah, that makes total sense lmao

There's also this iconic Smash 64 one, which is frankly one of the best ways they could've marketed the game.

Spoiler: Super Smash Bros (N64)

Whenever I hear "Happy Together" in like anything, I always associate it with this.