Back in 2016, Nintendo shared a photo on Twitter of a person dressed as Mario peeking out from behind a curtain. The purpose of the tweet was to build anticipation for the upcoming Switch reveal. However, some people found the image to be rather creepy and it quickly turned into an online meme. According to two former Nintendo employees, the company was not pleased with how things unfolded.
Former Nintendo Minute hosts Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang shed some light on the story behind the strange Mario photo in a recent podcast episode. Yang mentioned that the image, which was captured for the tweet, sparked controversy within Nintendo. The individual who came up with the idea was the former head of social media at the company. They arranged for a photoshoot of the Mario character in the office, positioned behind a curtain, which raised concerns within Nintendo.
The issue stemmed from the fact that the image left too much room for speculation and did not effectively manage people’s expectations regarding the upcoming console reveal. The lack of a clear message in the image caused confusion among fans. The photo soon became a meme and received negative feedback from the public.
Ellis emphasized the importance of having enough assets for major announcements like console reveals. He mentioned that in this particular case, there was a lack of proper planning which resulted in the last-minute photo of Mario behind a curtain. Nintendo was disappointed that an unofficial image was used for such a significant event.
Looking ahead, Ellis and Yang stated that Nintendo has learned from this experience and will be better prepared for future announcements. They assured that such mishaps will not occur again in the future. Fans can expect more professional and well-thought-out teaser materials from Nintendo moving forward.
In conclusion, the Mario photo incident serves as a lesson for companies to carefully plan and execute their marketing strategies, especially when it comes to major product reveals. By learning from past mistakes, organizations can avoid unnecessary controversies and ensure a positive reception from their audience. Nintendo’s commitment to improving its promotional tactics will likely result in more successful and well-received announcements in the future.