Super Mario Rides the New Mercedes GLA

Giancarlo Perlas May 29, 2014

Nintendo’s earnings continue to decline after losing a lot of their market share in the console wars. So, in an attempt to boost their standings, the company announced that it will be opening its doors to “new licensing opportunities”.

The plan is to integrate famous brands with their iconic characters. The first on Nintendo’s list is Mercedes-Benz.

According to Forbes, Nintendo revealed that it will be partnering with the famous German automaker to promote its GLA crossover.

The deal allows the new Mercedes GLA to be featured in Mario Kart 8 as a part of its free downloadable content (DLC) in Japan. Then, Super Mario will be making special appearances in the commercials of Mercedes-Benz like in the video below:

Forbes heavily criticized the appearance of the Mercedes GLA in a Super Mario game, and Super Mario showing up in a Mercedes-Benz commercial. It said that Nintendo’s kid-friendly cartoon universe just does not fit well with “blatant advertising for luxury goods”.

The report pointed out that while it is not the first time for the Japanese game developer to use its characters to sell a product, the sight of Super Mario driving a GLA is just a bit odd.

Despite what critics say, the deal is actually a bold move by both companies. This will widen the advertising scope of the Mercedes brand particularly with the hardcore fans of Nintendo. On the other hand, having Mercedes on the side of Nintendo might actually result to a renewed interest in the Japanese brand’s products.