Overview
Stage Setting:
Casio's famously indestructible G-SHOCK watch is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The brand has continued to thrive, with a cult following
among athletes and others who rely on its durability, and a broader market that finds its imperviousness to being cool.
To mark four decades, Casio and 5W identified a unique collaboration opportunity with Super Mario: a limited-edition watch. The strategic rationale was that the brands belong together; they are cultural icons, born in the 1980s in Japan, with “never give up” in their DNA, and celebrating a major milestone.
The Ask:
5W was assigned to launch the collaboration, and through that, propel G-SHOCK further into the cultural conversation to assure that this
40-year-old brand remains exquisitely relevant.
Strategy
The Idea Trigger:
We were inspired by the nostalgia trend that is capturing Gen Z and Millennials, as the past offers comfort and solace in a turbulent world.
It's behind the popularity of the return of 80s fighter pilot Tom Cruise, Y2K fashion, and the soundtrack of “Stranger Things.”
We leveraged that powerful cultural reality for the G-SHOCK x Super Mario collaboration, the spirit of which is captured in this video whose evocative, nostalgic soundtrack is irresistible.
The Big Push:
Core to the strategic combination was the ability it gave the team to leverage a robust continuum of media outlets: business, lifestyle, fashion,
video games, anime, and trade outlets as well. 5W launched with a resounding bang, tracking the media for newsjacking moments on related
conversations.
Results
5W owned the media for the launch window and extended beyond. This GQ story captures the coverage perfectly and is indicative of media storytelling. From a sales perspective what the agency was proudest of is the fact that there is still a limit of one watch per customer on the Casio website.
“Designed in concert with the creative geniuses at Nintendo, this collab brings together two titans of 1980s tech for the first time: the Casio G-SHOCK and the original Super Mario Bros. game. Launched in 1983 and 1985, respectively, both the G-SHOCK and Super Mario Bros. revolutionized their industries, and both brands are still at the top of their game nearly 40 years later.”
Other stories included HypeBeast, CNET, Inverse, and Crunchy Roll.
