It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Nintendo's commercials, specifically for its hardware. To be fair, each of the Big Three (Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft) are guilty of forced commercials with awkwardly placed actors trying to portray "real gamers." It's painful to watch, really. And the commercials that ditch the actors, tend to rely on fast-cut shots of extremely close-up, or just plain weird, angles of the system in a cold room — usually some punchy techno is thumping in the background.
Needless to say, I hate video game console commercials.
But Nintendo's new 3DS Holiday TV commercial has impressed me. Maybe it's the Christmas jingle, maybe it's all of the great games being show, or maybe it's the fact that Nintendo has finally created a commercial that appeals to our emotional senses.
The new 3DS commercial resonates with me because of its emotional appeal.
There's no flashy lights, no technical jargon, no fist-pumping techno, none of that. Just some kids playing their 3DS and telling us why they play it. You can look at each of the scenes in the commercial and it'll strike up a memory. We've all stayed up late playing games in the dark with a friend. We've all had those annoying family portraits. We all love games, which is what this commercial shows off.
Maybe I'm being oversentimental. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for the holidays. Or maybe I'm just being biased because I really want a 2DS this Christmas (*hint, hint*). This commercial just sticks with me, because I can relate to it. It speaks to me on a more emotional level, beyond just technical aspects of gaming. And most importantly, nothing seems forced. I absolutely hate when actors seem forced (I'm looking at you Sony; you are always guilty of this).
Other game companies — heck, even Nintendo with its Wii U — can look at this commercial and learn a thing or two. Well done, Nintendo.
