For most people, the only birthdays worth making a fuss over are divisible by ten. It takes a 30th or 50th for an individual to really justify pushing the boat out, but global brands operate by different logic. Last year, for example, gaming s favourite plumber turned 35 a milestone that would merit little more than an evening in the pub for a person, but is more than enough justification for a slew of new products and marketing activations spanning a full 12 months in the world of mass entertainment.
What lengths will Nintendo have to go to on Mario s 40th? The mind reels.