November 9th, 2023, Kineree Shah
In the wake of the commercial triumph of the Super Mario movie, Nintendo is setting the stage for its next cinematic venture—a film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. Details about the film are sparse, but this move aligns with the brand’s broader vision of expanding beyond gaming, as evidenced by its venture into film and theme park attractions.
Accompanying Nintendo's strategic expansion, YouGov BrandIndex data reveals a significant rise in the Legend of Zelda’s health metrics in the US. Index scores have climbed from 16.5 to 22.5 points since November 7, 2019, marking a four-year peak as of November 7, 2023. The increase underscores a strengthening consumer perception of Nintendo, bolstered by the release of Tears of the Kingdom, as well as Super Mario Bros Wonder and that franchise’s movie this year.
Delving into YouGov Profiles data sheds light on the makeup of The Legend of Zelda's audience as well as their behaviors. Two in five Americans hold a positive view of the Zelda franchise, indicative of a solid fanbase (42%). These fans engage with cinema much more frequently than the general population, with 10% visiting theaters every two to three weeks, compared to just 6% of all US adults.
When it comes to movie-watching preferences, half of Zelda enthusiasts are inclined to watch films upon their theatrical release (47%), a significant contrast to the one-third of all US adults who share this preference (35%). This suggests that a theatrical release of the Zelda film could be well-received by the franchise's fans.
Moreover, the Zelda community appears to be more receptive to celebrity and influencer endorsements, with one-third trusting such recommendations (35%), compared to a quarter of the broader adult populace (24%). Half of Zelda fans are considered go-to advisors within their circles for recommendations on new movies, TV shows, and music (49%), compared to a third of all US adults (34%). This insight could be pivotal for Nintendo's word-of-mouth marketing.
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YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Legend of Zelda’s Index score is an overall measure of brand health, made up of general Impression, Customer Satisfaction, Quality, Value, Corporate Reputation and Recommendation and delivered as a net score between -100 and +100. Scores are based on an average daily sample size of 1000 US adults between Nov 7, 2019- Nov 2023. Figures are based on a 04-week moving average. Learn more about BrandIndex.
YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the US is nationally representative of the online population and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.
Cover photo by RDNE Stock project