Pokémon to turn 20 at Super Bowl 50

In order to celebrate its 20th birthday, Pokémon will broadcast a TV commercial during the Super Bowl which will be held on February 7.

The long version, already launched on YouTube, has already received around 8 million views in just three days. During the Super Bowl, the commercial will be cut to 30 seconds and is set to cost around US$5 million.

The ad, which recalls some highlights from the cartoon, encourages young people to follow their dream using the slogan “Train On”. Pokémon has also rolled out a huge campaign on social media inviting fans to share their best memories on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #Pokemon20.

Nike go the artistic route with new designer-inspired boots

This week, Nike has unveiled the new boots of its famous ambassador, Neymar JR, inspired by Brazilian designer, Bruno Big.

Named “Ousadia Alegria” (Daring and Happy), Bruno Big painted a mural on a wall composed of 1000 individual shoe boxes for the product launch.

One pair 0f shoes in the painted shoe box has already been delivered to Neymar Jr (see video) while the other 999 will be available to customers of the Nike app from 31 January.

GoPro and the NHL sign a new partnership to deliver a web series

The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) has announced a renewal of its partnership with GoPro.

Under the deal, GoPro will launch a series named “NHL After Dark” featuring NHL stars delivering hockey fans a behind-the-scenes look at the game.

Starting 3 February, the series will be composed of 11 parts and will take fans on the ice during after-hours training sessions. All videos will be broadcast on the company’s and the League’s channels.

Executive Producer at GoPro Bill McCullough said it was a new great opportunity to show off  the high-quality of its company’s products.

“Our goal with the NHL After Dark™ series is to transport the hockey fan directly onto the ice with an up-close and personal look at some of the NHL’s most talented players,” he said.

Another partnership for FC Bayern Munich

After signing with Yahoo Sport, Wangkanai and Beats by Dre this month, Germany’s biggest football club has signed a new long-term partnership agreement with Doha’s Hamad International Airport (HIA).

Opened in 2014, the new International Airport is one of the biggest hubs in the Middle East with 30 million passengers per year.

FC Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hopes that the new deal will help increase the club’s presence in the Middle East.

“This partnership is another step in our internationalization strategy. Part of our cooperation agreement is that we will jointly support social projects and a dialogue concerning critical community and political topics” he said.

JPMorgan Chase wins naming rights for Warriors’ new arena

The US-based multinational banking firm has signed a long-term naming rights agreement with the Golden State Warriors’ new arena in San Francisco.

Not set to open until 2019, the arena will be named “The Chase Centre” for at least the next 20 years.

The financial details of the deal have not yet been unveiled, however, it’s likely to be worth more than the deal that Barclays signed with Brooklyn Nets’ for the naming rights of the franchise’s arena which is currently the most expensive agreement of its kind in basketball, worth approximately US$200 million.