As we've written many, many times before, Sonic's current social media and marketing team is knocking it out of the park. If you need evidence of this fact, look no further than the newly-released infomercial for the Sonic Mania Collector's edition.
At first glance, it's a wonderfully bizarre and out-of-left-field advertisement you would expect from the current state of Sonic the Hedgehog. In the ad, the collector's edition box is shown to "handle stubborn stains," said to "hold any tacklebox," is "humanely raised, free range and organic" and is made from a "space age polymer cardboard for years of family fun." Toward the end of the video, the words "welcome to the next level" are displayed on screen, followed by a blue "infomercial" screen with further details.
If none of that makes any kind of sense, that's likely because you haven't seen the classic 1993 Sega Genesis advertisement to which the Sonic Mania infomercial is so brilliantly paying tribute. Just as in the Sonic Mania ad, the original Sega Genesis ad from which it's based shows an included copy of Sonic 2 handling stubborn stains after a man spills wine on his couch. The game's case is said to be made from a space age polymer plastic, and it even fits easily inside any tackle box. Pets love it, too, in case you were wondering. You can watch both ads below.
It's stunts like these that perfectly show how Sonic is slowly but surely reclaiming some of his former glory. Back in 1993, Sega and Sonic were synonymous with attitude, with provocative advertisements and an all around more "edgy" feel than that of their main competitor at the time, Nintendo. Flash-forward to 2016, and Sonic's games are the worst they've ever been, and Sega doesn't even make consoles anymore. It may have taken a long, lone time, but Sonic and Sega once again seem to be channeling that signature brand of attitude that made the blue blur a household name back in the day.
Sonic Mania is set to release next year. The game's collector's edition includes a Sonic statue, a gold ring that fits inside a replica Sonic game cartridge and a collector's card and box, along with a digital version of the game. Contrary to what the ad would have you believe, it probably doesn't handle stubborn stains all that well.
