Nintendo wanted to bring one of Nintendo's most anticipated titles of 2014, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, to a broader audience outside of the core gamer attendees of PAX Prime in Seattle, WA.
The strategy was to promote the first-ever handheld version of the franchise by targeting popular, high-traffic tourist areas around Seattle during PAX Prime, using Nintendo's Twitter to provide clues to our street team's location, share photos leverage the hashtag #SmashBash and drive purchase intent for pre-orders of the game.
The event drew high volumes of conversation with over 25,000 tweets referencing #SmashBash – resulting in a worldwide and U.S. trending topic throughout PAX Prime. Conversation trends surrounding the street team's jackets resulted in an impromptu Twitter giveaway with over 9,000 entries.
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS was one of Nintendo's biggest and most anticipated titles of 2014. It also marked the first time a game in this franchise's history was to be released on a handheld console. This provided a unique opportunity to bring the game to consumers in an atypical setting.
Nintendo had a booth presence at PAX Prime, held in Seattle, WA where attendees could play and sample Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, Nintendo wanted to expose the game to a broader audience, outside of the core gaming crowd attending PAX.
Nintendo deployed a street team to popular, high-traffic tourist spots around Seattle to create surprise sampling opportunities of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS for the #SmashBash campaign. These #SmashBash activities were hosted at Pike Place Market, the base of the Space Needle and outside of Bumber Shoot, a music & arts festival hosted at the Seattle Center. The #SmashBash activities were hosted over two days during PAX Prime.
At each #SmashBash location, our objective was to provide locals and tourists with hands-on playtime with Super Smash Bros. for 3DS. The Nintendo street team engaged random participants who enjoyed a 10-15 minute gaming session with knowledgeable Nintendo staff who discussed the game's key features and even played along with consumers.
Nintendo's Twitter account (@NintendoAmerica) was used to tweet out clues informing fans where they could find our street team each day. Live-photos and tweets highlighted each activation, generating significant social conversation and buzz. Consumers who played the game were also given a free Super Smash Bros. branded towel.
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