Up until the very end of this commercial, the entire thing comes across as a Nike ad—not something about Pokémon. That’s just how fierce it is.
As of late, Pokémon advertisements have really stepped up their game. I think back on the stuff for Pokémon Go, the upcoming mobile spin-off for example....
Both of these commercials really play off the idea of Pokémon’s as a real-world thing, which is smart. That’s the entire fantasy of it; wishing that the critters we train and battle could follow us into our actual lives.
What really gets me about the ad, however, is that it’s not actually advertising any specific product. It’s more about the legacy of Pokémon, about reminding us that it’s been twenty years since the franchise debuted on our Game Boys. Damn.