Pokémon and Pokémon Go

Pokémon is a Japanese franchise created in 1996 by Satoshi Tajiri, which includes video games, animated series, trading cards, and many other merchandise.
The concept of the original video game is based on capturing, training, and battling Pokémon, fictional creatures with various shapes, characteristics, and powers. The name Pokémon comes from the contraction of the Japanese name Poketto Monsutā, a phonetic transcription of the English "Pocket Monsters." The most famous character is Pikachu, a small yellow electric creature. As the mascot of the Pokémon franchise, it has become an international icon.

Pokémon GO is an augmented reality mobile game, developed by Niantic and released in 2016. Players capture Pokémon that appear in various real-world locations using a smartphone's geolocation and camera. Pokémon GO revolutionized the way of playing by combining augmented reality with the Pokémon universe.

Pokémon and Pokémon Go's commercials

3D animation and integration into live-action films.

The commercials for Pokémon and Pokémon Go feature iconic characters from the franchise. The characters are animated in 3D and then integrated into live-action films. The graphic style is a blend between cartoon and realistic 3D rendering.

Detective Pikachu

Detective Pikachu (Meitantei Pikachū) is a video game published by The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016. Unlike the main series, which focuses on capturing, training, and battling Pokémon, Detective Pikachu emphasizes investigations, with the player taking on the role of a Pikachu tasked with solving various mysteries.
AOKIstudio animated the Pikachu character in 3D for three advertising films.

Pokémon commercial, Japan 2016

Director: Ryohei Shingu Production: EPOCH Inc. 3D Animation: AOKIstudio

Pokémon commercial, Japan 2018

Director: Ryohei Shingu Production: EPOCH Inc. 3D Animation: AOKIstudio

Pokémon commercial, Japan 2024

Director: Yusuke Iwasaki Production: TYO Inc. 3D Animation: AOKIstudio

Pokémon Go

The commercials for Pokémon Go emphasize the social and exploratory aspects of the game, dynamically showcasing a wide variety of Pokémon characters and human players.
AOKIstudio animated the Pokémon Go characters in 3D for two commercial films.

Pokémon Go commercial, Japan 2017

Director: Ryohei Shingu Production: TYO Inc. 3D Animation: AOKIstudio

Pokémon Go commercial, Japan 2020

Director: Ryohei Shingu Production: EPOCH Inc. 3D Animation: AOKIstudio

Partnerships with The Pokémon Company

In 2020, Toyota Motor Corporation created a commercial in collaboration with The Pokémon Company for the opening of a Toyota festival.
The commercial features Poké Balls, the small red and white balls used in the games to capture Pokémon, as Toyota cars being transported by car carriers to the Toyota dealership. The 3D rendering is realistic in style to give viewers the feeling that these enormous Poké Balls actually exist.

Toyota Commercial, Japan 2020

Director: Yoshihiro Mori Production: HAKUHODO PRODUCT'S INC. 3D Animation: AOKIstudio

Music video with Pokémon

The Pokémon Company produced a series of virtual concerts and music videos in different countries in 2021 to celebrate Pokémon's 25th anniversary.
AOKIstudio animated the characters for the music video produced in Japan.

Pokémon music video, Japan 2021

Direction: Ryouhei Shingu Production: GunsRock Inc. Animation 3D: AOKIstudio

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