Even in videos, this 3D billboard is amazing to watch. It really does make images look like they are coming out of the screen, drawing the eye more than any advertisement has done in a long time. When the billboard was first unveiled, it featured a cute calico cat that brought people from all over Tokyo to watch, and videos of the kitty went viral online.
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Since the calico, the billboard has not had nearly the same level of attention. Why? Obviously, it’s because people love cats. And not just in Japan (where cats are certainly adored), but across the globe. What else do people both in Japan and abroad also love?
Partnered with Pokemon Go, the billboard has just released a new advertisement earlier this month (on August 8th, International Cat Day) promoting the still-popular mobile game. The new ad combines the beloved subjects of Pokemon and cats into one incredibly eye-catching video that features many of the cats from the franchise.
The new advertisement begins with a few different cats, including Meowth, both its original, Alolan, and Galarian forms. Then the true star of the Pokemon franchise, Pikachu, makes an appearance, of course. Finally, Pikachu is joined by many other Pokemon cats, including Glameow, Espurr, and Litten. There are also a ton of Pokemon balls that rain from the sky.
Pokemon Go’s popularity may have tapered off a lot in the rest of the world, but the mobile game still maintains a huge level of popularity and playership in Japan. There is even an entire store dedicated to the game in Ikebukuro, featuring lots of merchandise specifically made for Pokemon Go, along with a special gym that players can battle over.
With Pokemon Go alive and well, it makes sense that it was specifically chosen for this advertisement. And because it was likely for the video to go viral, it was likely done in an effort to bring players that may have abandoned the game back to playing it by showing how many more generations of Pokemon have been added since people may have quit. A lot of people love cat Pokemon, so if they see their favorite featured on the billboard (along with different forms, too) they might be more likely to return.
Does advertising in the form of giant billboards still work on people? Well, when it features cute Pokemon cats and is just outside the busiest train station in the world, it probably does. After all, after the video was posted on the official Pokemon Go Twitter, it racked up over 500,000 views in just one week. It is quite likely that people both in Japan and around the world have gone back to playing Pokemon Go again, even just for a little while to catch their beloved cats.
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