A new Nintendo Switch advertisement featuring Christina Aguilera and her family shows off the singer's impressive gaming skills. Advertisements are a powerful weapon in the gaming industry's ongoing console war between Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo, with known celebrities often getting drafted into the conflict. While Nintendo teamed up with Christina Aguilera, Xbox recently collaborated with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in an amusing celebration of the brand's 20-year anniversary.
Recognizable celebrities are used to make video game advertisements more appealing, as most people trust public figures more than strangers. This fact has led to frequent collaboration between The Rock and Xbox, since the former wrestling superstar has a personal history with Microsoft's consoles. The Jumanji and Fast & Furious star has worked with Xbox on many past ads, and the actor also led a charity event last year which gave Xbox Series X/S consoles to multiple children's hospitals. However, rival PlayStation has also managed to recruit its own team of celebrity supporters. A PlayStation 5 ad featuring Rick and Morty premiered back in November 2020, shortly after the launch of new-generation consoles, with the comedic duo explaining why viewers should purchase Sony's new system.
A new Nintendo Switch ad, posted to YouTube, showcases Christina Aguilera playing with the portable gaming console as a way to communicate with her family while on tour. The ad starts out with the American singer, songwriter and actress in her dressing room. Despite being close to a performance, Aguilera is able to use the Nintendo Switch's online features to play Super Mario 3D World with her son. On the car ride home the performer is seen playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and during game night with her family the group is seen playing Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain.
While Christina Aguilera's Nintendo Switch ad is a cute look at how gaming can bring families together, Nintendo's ads have received criticism in the past. Many believe that past Nintendo Switch commercials were bad for reasons such as misrepresenting how gamers use the portable console. Many ads show gamers using the Switch in inappropriate places, such as in a diner or in the hallway of their own home. While these locations are probably meant to demonstrate the console's portable nature, the commercials come across as unnatural as a result. Christina Aguilera's recent ad seems much more natural by comparison, with her using the handheld system in her dressing room and in the backseat of a car.
Video game advertisements often use celebrities as spokespeople, and Christina Aguilera remains a massive figure in American popular culture. While gaming ads are often corny or unnatural, Aguilera's ad seems quite believable and is a heartwarming look at life on tour. Playing games with her children in person is impossible on the road, but thanks to the highlighted portable nature of the Nintendo Switch, Christina Aguilera's game night can continue even while she is performing around the world.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube