The Power of the Switch!

I've seen this tweet at least three times on my feed today and it somehow caught my attention.

1. Who created this message?

Nintendo of America published this tweet two days ago (as of typing this blog) on February 9, 2023 at 1:31pm. It is recent tweet advertising the Nintendo Switch system and its ability to bring families together with the games they love.

1. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?

The video embedded in the tweet is fifteen seconds long which makes it easy to view and then scroll along in one's Twitter feed. It starts with the iconic controller clicking of the Switch controllers, a famous signal to viewers this add focuses on the Switch or a Switch game. Then it show stills of siblings and families play the Switch together with short clips of "Kirby and the Forbidden Land" and "Mario Kart Deluxe 8" gameplay. It is an engaging clip because it looks like it may be a trailer for a new game, but really it is reminder (or advertisement!) to viewers how fun and collaborative the Switch can be, which is the antithesis of how video games are usually perceived, which is typically isolating and solitary.

1. How might different people understand this message differently than me?

Being a Switch owner, I didn't have much investment in the ad because it worked on me. However, for an outsider, particularly a younger viewer, they may be intrigued and research how and where to buy one. I could as see this tweet as being a sour reminder to someone who may be unable to afford a Switch or new games as well. While advertisers want us to buy their products, sometimes we can't simply due to cost. How can an advertiser consider multiple socioeconomic levels in their marketing? Do they care to do so?

1. What values, lifestyles, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?

The main lifestyle in this tweet is a family culture that is connected and willing to have fun playing video games together. That is not true of all families – some families do not have the time, resources, or desire to play video games together. Plus, some people do not have their actual families with them, so this advertisement may be a bit insensitive in its intent to reach solid nuclear families. I would have been nice to see friends playing the game or classmates, something that isn't so family-oriented.

1. Why is this message being sent?

This message is being sent to encourage buyers to purchase the Switch and its games. Previous Switch owners can be inspired by the gameplay and purchase more games, while novice Switch players would be intrigued by the playability and collaborative nature of the Switch enough to buy it.