Universal Pictures levels up Super Mario Bros. with a superb Twitch activation

2023’s The Super Mario Bros. movie is one of the most highly anticipated releases in the history of video games, and a complimenting marketing plan which dominated the gaming space was a no-brainer.

Universal Pictures France took to Twitch to celebrate this iconic moment in film and gaming in an equally iconic setting – both virtually and in-person. The team chose the world-famous Pompidou Center in the heart of Paris and transformed it into an immersive experience, dropping Mario’s mystery blocks and unmissable green pipes.

Hyping up the movie’s release further, Universal Pictures France collaborated with Ponce, the biggest Nintendo streamer in the country. Ponce’s legions of loyal fans joined him for an epic livestream which lasted over two hours, where he was joined by gaming experts, streamer friends and movie journalists. During the stream, new Mario Emotes were shared which users could use to unlock exclusive content.

The campaign was a resounding success. Hundreds of passers-by joined in on the fun, whilst on Twitter 141,000 unique viewers watched 1.2 million minutes of content, shedding 73,000 Mario Emotes. No medium was overlooked, and the activation generated earned media through press coverage across Europe and helped to break records for the largest number of tickets ever sold for a video game adaptation.