Nintendo has partnered with Southwest Airlines in a continuation of its travel-themed Super Mario Odyssey marketing. The video game has remained consistent in its approach to marketing both the Nintendo Switch console and latest Super Mario game, even after a successful launch of both products a year and several months ago, respectively.
Southwest Airlines is hoping the famous video game character will strike a sense of wanderlust into the hearts of consumers just in time for spring and summer travel. The partnership makes sense, considering the very first trailer for Nintendo Switch showed what gameplay could be like during air travel.
The Nintendo Switch console combines at-home and mobile play, so travel has been an ongoing theme from the very beginning. Ahead of its March 2017 launch, The “Unexpected Places” campaign hosted pop-up locations—not at game stores or malls, but places like the desert of California and the snowy peaks of Colorado.
Since its announcement, Super Mario Odyssey marketing has centered around a theme of travel and adventure. Ahead of its October release, a special tour bus drove from California to New York, stopping at events along the way to offer demos, prizes and photo ops with Mario. The tour culminated in a launch celebration at the Nintendo New York store, where the first 200 attendees could purchase a copy of Super Mario Odyssey.
Nintendo game developers Yoshiaki Koizumi and Shinya Takahashi also took a globetrotting tour of San Francisco, France, Germany, London and more, bringing their Nintendo Switch and posting photos from the official Nintendo and Super Mario social channels.
Thus far, Super Mario Odyssey has been a big win for Nintendo. The title became the second-best-selling game on Amazon for 2017 before it even launched. According to SuperData, the game went on to sell 191,000 copies, the biggest Nintendo Switch digital launch to date.
Through March 16, eligible residents of the US may enter to win Nintendo Switch prize packs and travel accommodations through Southwest Airlines’ website. One grand prize winner will receive a Southwest Airlines prize package that includes round-trip air travel for four, a $1,000 Starwood Preferred Guest gift card and a Nintendo Switch prize pack.
The Nintendo Switch prize pack includes one Nintendo Switch system, one Game Traveler: Deluxe Super Mario Odyssey Travel Case, one Super Mario Odyssey Collector’s Edition Guide and the Super Mario Odyssey video game. In addition to the grand prize winner, a total of 29 runners-up will receive a Nintendo Switch prize pack.
