As everyone knows by now, the coronavirus pandemic has impacted not only the lives of the people but the inner and outer workings of companies as well. Ever since the advent of the new normal, companies and industries alike have adapted and found another way for them to remain productive. Finding a way to market their products is also another big issue for most, but this is where the creativity of a company’s marketing team is put to the test.
Game developers and publishers have already required their employees to work from home or remotely since the quarantine period began, with other studios such as Square Enix even offering more permanent work from home setups now. On the other hand, Hollywood movie studios have implemented safety protocols in order to ensure that everyone is safe from the virus.
At this point in time, it appears that The Pokemon Company has also made some adjustments in order to cope with the times. More specifically, the company’s marketing team has been looking at different ideas in an effort to deal with the quarantines and travel bans that have been implemented due to COVID-19.
In addition to Japan’s internal tourism efforts, there have been sightings of new Pokemon-themed planes flying through the different regions and prefectures of Japan. This time around, Kyushu-based Solaseed Air is the most recent local airline to embellish their planes with a particular Pokemon design. The plane’s first flight took place on December 19, 2020 — from Miyazaki City to the Haneda airport in Tokyo City.
Solaseed Exeggutor pic.twitter.com/R6cSp3KCJU
— Indoflyer.net (@indoflyer) December 29, 2020
Since the plane came from Miyazaki City, the airline decided to decorate it with designs of the grass/psychic-type Pokemon known as Exeggutor. For those who don’t know, Exeggutor is the Pokemon that The Pokemon Company assigned to Miyazaki Prefecture. In other words, each region has its own respective Pokemon ambassador, which is honestly a pretty cool concept.
Solaseed Air shared a couple of photos featuring designs of both the regular Exeggutor and the Alolan Exeggutor on the different sides of the airplane. On the other hand, the tail of the plane has the same green shade as the color on its sides.
Photos of what passengers can expect to find inside the plane have been shared as well. Each of the seat headrests is covered with a cloth that has the same Exeggutor and Alolan Exeggutor design. Although, the airline didn’t reveal whether or not passengers will be offered Exeggutor-themed drinks or snacks to munch on.
That being said, this kind of gimmick isn’t new to us fans. After all, transport companies are no stranger to collaborating with video game franchises or other pop culture icons in order to promote tourism and travel.
In fact, Japan’s 5-star airline known as ANA was the very first company to adorn its planes with Pokemon designs all the way back in 1998. Asides from that, the country’s bullet trains are also popularly known for partnering with a variety of franchises, some of which include Hello Kitty, Evangelion, and Hatsune Miku.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that The Pokemon Company did this collaboration, especially since this company, in particular, has always made an effort to bring the franchise even closer to its fans by doing crossovers with different brands. If these Pokemon designs prove to be useful in promoting tourism and travel in Japan, then it’s possible that other local airline companies will want to partner with The Pokemon Company for themed decorations as well.
