Promotional Consideration: You Can't Do That On Television
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.
Commercials that work for European markets aren't always in-line with Nintendo of America's more traditional approach. Join us past the post break to sample a few of the edgier, more risqué TV adverts our friends across the Atlantic have been enjoying.
"The Power of the Finger"
Boy loves girl. Boy hijacks plane. 74 dead.
You can immediately see a number of items in this ad spot that would have concerned parents writing complaint letters to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), were it to air in the states. Near nudity, feces flinging, and violent vomiting rarely make an appearance on network television, unless you're watching Family Guy.
Nintendo of Europe was quite proud of the crass scenes: "This video is a blast. The hero of the ad [scores] a date with a cute hottie. And there's something for the ladies too, with a bunch of lads clowning around sans duds in the changing room. Freaky." It's really embarrassing when companies try to appeal to their teen audience with dated colloquialisms.
Interestingly, there are several variations on the commercial's closing message that we've seen. The montage above ends with "Play God," while other versions say, "Play Almighty," or leave out the phrase altogether. Perhaps the motto was considered too inappropriate or sacrilegious for some territories?
Like the changing room scene in the previous commercial, this Spanish ad has a lot more skin than what we're used to seeing in Nintendo ads. It's pretty funny to see the doltish character stuff the handheld into the side of his swim trunks before walking over to the comely young woman. We're surprised that she didn't run away right then.
Alas and alack, it was not meant to be for the mismatched couple! Brain Age doomed their relationship before it could even begin. If only there was some sort of training game that taught you how to interact with the opposite sex!
Everyone stays fully-clothed in these two "In touch with original comedy" pieces, both of them bumpers for the United Kingdom's Channel 4 comedy programs, but they're a lot more suggestive than the other commercials, and not to mention indecent. The men in these ad spots are completely unappealing; we can't imagine why anyone would ever want to touch them.
Though this Game Boy Micro commercial actually originated in North America (Canada), it's too infamous to not include in our write-up. The mouse's craving for the system is so intense, he actually scales the maze's walls to reunite with his love, immediately pulling it into his lustful embrace. How romantic!
