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This weekend, the Summer Olympic Games in Rio came to an end. As part of the closing ceremonies, a teaser was unveiled for the next Olympic Games set for Tokyo in 2020. The teaser featured a number of popular Japanese mascots, most notably Nintendo’s famous plumber, Mario!
While Mario wasn’t the only video game icon present, the character certainly took center stage, as Japan’s prime minister appeared in a bit of Mario cosplay after the video. Nintendo is not currently a sponsor for the 2020 Olympic Games, but it will be interesting to see if that changes after the events of this past weekend. Pikachu acted as Japan’s mascot during the 2014 World Cup. Perhaps Mario will act in a similar fashion in 2020.
Part of Nintendo’s new strategy focuses on making its mascots more prevalent. Given the popularity of the Olympic Games, there seems no bigger platform for exposure. Mario’s appearance in the promotional video has already proven beneficial. Nintendo stock rose 3.5 percent, as a result. It’s not quite as impressive as the jump the company received after the release of Pokémon Go, but it’s certainly good news, nonetheless!
Source: CNN Money
