Mario Breaks Worldwide Movie Records through Unique Marketing Campaign

Source: Universal Pictures

Recently I ventured across town for my once-a-year-or-so movie theater outing. I'll be honest—I'm not typically a huge movie fan. Especially for animated movies. But my nostalgia surrounding this colorful video game world couldn't be ignored, despite low expectations for the film.

I was shocked at how much I ended up genuinely enjoying it. 

As my research behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie has increased, I've only become more impressed by the overall production behind generating awareness around this video game world adaptation far before it even hit the big screens. 

The movie has generated a soaring amount of ticket sales, with numbers continuing to rise. A recent article published by Digiday highlights how the film brought in "a whopping $204.6 million in its five-day domestic debut and shatter[ed] records for both video game film adaptations and Illumination movies." These numbers rank the Mario movie as the top animated debut worldwide. Although the film itself is excellent, I credit a large part of this unexpected success to the movie's impressively creative marketing campaigns. This article by Kimp outlines what sets the Mario marketing apart, and examines some of the ways they incorperated many easter eggs and attention to detail to generate these impressive accomplishments. 

So How Did They Do It?

To answer that question, we first need to examine Nintendo's value proposition in creating the film to begin with. Business Strategy outlines the company's mission and core values, which are consistent with their movie marketing. The first part of Nintendo's mission statement is a"Strong commitment towards production and marketing of best products and services." The company does this through listening to their customers and creating products based on their actual needs and interests. 

A core value that really stands out in Nintendo's movie promotionals is their commitment to uniqueness. When something is different people talk about it. Unique marketing and products generate an authentic, anticipating buzz that is worth examining in greater detail.

Unique Market Relevance

With the announcement of a future Mario movie people were reminded of a favorite childhood past time. 

It's a nostalgic experience for many to think back to the days of playing Mario Kart or Super Mario Bros. They can once again choose their lucky character. Drive the coolest car. Try to beat their old top scores. It has the power to transport people back to the more simple times of life. It's special. 

Yet the unique advantage of creating a modern movie is that this nostalgic world suddenly becomes available to audiences who may have not grown up with Mario at all. It opens the door for an entirely new generation to enjoy. 

Not only does Nintendo want to continue generating revenue from their oldest fans, they also want to appeal to a new, younger target market. This is an excellent marketing strategy because when nostalgia becomes a factor for an entirely new generation you've just generated years of future loyal customers. 

Fan Based Audience

These impressive achievements does not come without its challenges, though. Kimp notes how "When you are promoting a movie, you are not appealing to “customers”, you are appealing to “fans”. And fans can sometimes be the worst critics because they pay attention to the details."

Yet if you can win the hearts of your fans, you're in for a long road of success. 

I realized when I went to go see the movie in theaters everyone was around my age. A generation that grew up playing these different games and were curious about a film adaptation. Sure, it was a later show time, but this demonstrates the importance of customer loyalty generated by creating a movie based on what the fans want, not corporate agendas. In the end? Everyone was hyped the entire time.

Interactive Teasers

As a teaser for the movie's release, Nintendo released a Super Bowl commercial that OG Mario fans instantly recognized. This ad was modeled after the intro for the 1989 TV show "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" I actually remember watching this on Netflix several years ago, so I was thrilled to see that the movie incorporated elements of the Mario world beyond just the games. 

Source: YouTube

The coolest part of this ad remake? The contact information listed leads to an actual website and phone number with a voicemail from Luigi. This gave fans something to be really excited about.

Getting the Word Out—Everywhere

While generating anticipation through their exciting teaser trailers and ads, Nintendo also brainstormed many creative ways to spread word about the upcoming film everywhere they could. From printing Amazon packaging that looks like mystery boxes from the games to creating an Alexa "mario theme" to putting on an entire MAR10 day to celebrate, Mario was everywhere.  

Source: Twitter

I've also noticed that a quick Google search for the Mario Movie generates a clickable mystery box icon, equipped with video game sounds and all. Oh, and a new emoji icon  They seem to have thought of everything.

This list doesn't even begin to scratch the surface on their marketing efforts.

Word (Or Song?) Of Mouth 

Because the Mario movie is actually good people will naturally talk about it, generating additional ticket and product sales. Not only does it transport the viewer into a whimsical video game world, it doesn't miss a beat on incorporating every element of the Mario franchise. 

But the movie also balances humor with a song that gets stuck in your head. "Peaches," sung by Jack Black who plays Bowser, has one of those melodies that you catch yourself humming. It keeps you thinking about the movie. It keeps you talking about the movie. It gets stuck in other people's heads.

 

Source: tumblr

I can testify through personal experience that this is an effective word of mouth marketing tool, whether intentional or not. It works. 

There are a lot of other areas that I could have touched on when it comes to marketing this movie. But one thing is certain: Nintendo really thought out of the box with this one.

Results of Success

So what are some of the positive outcomes of these marketing campaigns? I'll break down the article by Digiday to dive deeper into that. 

Additional Revenue Opportunities 

Evidently, Nintendo was very aware of the potential for future financial gain when making their contract with Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures. As this article states, developing a cinematic universe opens the door to many additional opportunities, "from Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood to a local activation with the popular New York City restaurant Shake Shack." Fede Goldenberg, the head of YouTube's global TV and movie partnerships, mentioned in the article that his children had never asked for Mario Lego sets before, "but here we are."

Not only did these opportunities boost videogame and product sales, they continued to drive momentum and buzz surrounding the release of the film. Plus, we're going to continue seeing unique brand partnerships (such as with LEGO) to bring in additional revenue.

Predicted Future Adaptations

The writers note that because of the Mario Movie's smashing success, other videogame franchises will be more likely to begin making their own films as well. There has been hesitation around film adaptations since the disaster that was the 1993 live-action movie “Super Mario Bros.” Yet after the popularity of the 2023 Mario movie, Digiday predicts that future adaptations will now "feel like less of a danger." 

I guess we'd better keep an eye out for more future video game movies coming soon. 

But will they be able to out rank Mario? 

Final Thoughts

Evaluating the Marketing Strategy

As mentioned, Nintendo was intentional to craft a marketing campaign that their fans were excited to get behind. Through throwbacks and interactive elements to humor and nostalgia, there really is something for everyone. 

Nintendo was also successful at appealing to both older and younger generations, which is a win-win for both customers and the company.  

With the combination of creativity and spreading the word everywhere, I'm guessing this film will set the tone for all major animated movies marketing efforts moving forward.

Missed Opportunities 

Despite me raving over the film and marketing campaign as a whole, every good review deserves some critique. One thing I wish I would have seen more of is an emphasis on the more vintage side of Mario. Perhaps through selling retro-inspired video game consols or classic Mario merchandise from the earlier years of the franchise. 

The marketing of the movie was definitely geared towards a more tech-savvy generation with its digitally interactive elements. Tying the brand back to its older roots would have added an even more impressive marketing strategy to the movie as a whole.

I would also love to see some sort of a "Mario gives back" program. With the success of the film, how impactful would it be for a child with cancer to spend a day immersed into this video game dreamland? Or for Mario and Luigi to shift their plumbing careers to helping low-income families pay their water bills?

If a multi-million dollar video game franchise gave back to the very families watching their new movie that would be something truly remarkable. 

Key Takeaways

The Mario Movie's emphasis on the importance of creativity and prioritizing attention to detail is something I'll keep in mind for a long time. Authentic products are the real deal. It's not something you can fake for a quick profit. 

Building something that your community genuinely wants to be a part of takes a lot of work. But as Nintendo has demonstrated, not phoning it in will generate a lasting impression that people continue to talk about. 

I hope that future movies look to Nintendo as an example of the important lesson in listening to consumer needs. It should be about what the audience wants first. Profit goals come second. 

I'm tired of the corporate agendas pushed by new movies hitting the theaters every week. I don't care about another sequel to a B-teir movie. Give me something real. Give me something to be a part of. 

I'm going to go play Mario Kart.