The Super Mario Bros. Movie Launches Viral Website (And Phone Line) With Super Bowl TV Spot
We all hate having to fix our plumbing problems by ourselves. Don't you wish you can hire a reliable plumber, maybe two, that can locate and solve all your house's issues in one fell swoop? Well, Illumination has the perfect company for you: Super Mario Bros. Plumbing!
Yes, Illumination and Nintendo are dabbling into viral online marketing for the upcoming "Super Mario Bros. Movie" with a new website, SMBPlumbing.com. The website advertises the brothers' plumbing service, promoting their "expert white glove" knowledge and at least one positive review. On the website's "About Us" section, Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) hint at a difficult, or shall we say, "spiky" boss in the past, leading them to create their own plumbing company. It's not entirely clear what specific services they offer, but they do work around the Brooklyn and Queens areas.
Looking to find out how these reliable brothers can help solve your house or apartment's plumbing woes? Simply call 929-55-MARIO (62746) — from there, you'll be able to hopefully leave a message for Luigi, who sounds a bit stressed out over the voicemail. We hope nothing bad or magical's happening behind the scenes!
Let's-a go!
In all seriousness, this new television spot for "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is both clever and effective. It's pretty clear that this advertisement can't be mistaken for a real-life plumbing service, but it does emulate small business commercials to a T, especially those from the 1980s. Even SMBPlumbing.com looks like something put together using a website preset.
Both the website and the commercial also unveil a key plot detail about the upcoming movie. Remember when we said that the plumbers service Brooklyn and Queens? That may prove that the movie isn't entirely set in the Mushroom Kingdom. Perhaps a wacky plumbing accident transports Mario from Brooklyn to the fantastical dimension we've all become familiar with. It also seems like "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" will take a page from the playbook of 1993's "Super Mario Bros.," as that movie also mixed the real world with that film's version of the Mushroom Kingdom, Dinohatten.
Whether or not that plot point was a direct reference, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" does look pretty entertaining. If they lean into more of the self-aware silliness of the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website and commercial embrace, it could potentially be a big hit. Here's to hoping that's the case when the film releases in theaters on April 7.