It’s-a Mariogurt! Woohoo!
Nintendo has entered a licensing deal with Yogurtland to offer special themed frozen treats named after Mario and friends. From July 1 to September 8, “Mario’s Chocolate Gelato,” “Luigi’s White Chocolate Pistachio,” and “Toad’s Rocky Road” will be consumable at designated Yogurtland locations. You’ll know then when you see them because they’ll be decked out in giant Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser posters.
These “Mariogurts” are about to exist because Nintendo says it’s looking to “expand its brand beyond its classic video games and systems to reach audiences in new ways.” So why yogurt? …..Why not yogurt?
The Yogurtland deal is the second of these new aggressive marketing pushes Nintendo is trying. The first was a deal with Vans to produce a new line of Mushroom Kingdom-themed shoes, T-shirts and backpacks. Also ahead: toothbrushes, and then an entire theme park at Universal. From there, who knows?
Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima believes these kinds of deals are crucial to keeping the Nintendo characters alive in the public consciousness. “The proportion of young consumers who are first experiencing games on our systems has been falling,” he said. “We want to have everyone become familiar with our IP by reaching as many people as possible from an early age within their daily lives. Our long-term strategy is to spark our consumers’ interest in playing Nintendo game systems and encouraging continued growth of our games business.”