The AA's Street Fighter billboard is a total KO

Natalie Fear
·2 min read
A yellow billboard featuring the characters Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter alongside bold black text that reads "it's ok. I'm with the AA"
A yellow billboard featuring the characters Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter alongside bold black text that reads "it's ok. I'm with the AA"

The AA has revved up its advertising in a recent collaboration with Capcom, creating animated billboards featuring fan favourite characters from the iconic Street Fighter games. The Automobile Association, known for its breakdown recovery service, recently launched the "It's ok. I'm with the AA" campaign, reinforcing its customers confidence in their services, no matter how extreme the situation.

With the release of Street Fighter 6 in June of this year, it's clear that the series is having a resurgence, and the AA's retro ad is giving us a much needed nostalgia fix. The game is a pop culture icon that's gained massive success, becoming one of the highest grossing video game franchises of all time, selling over 50 million units since its release in 1987. No wonder the AA is so keen to have this cult classic on its side.

Sporting the AA's bold black and yellow colourway, the animated billboard features iconic characters, Ken and Ryu, destroying a car, accompanied by sound effects from the original game. As the billboard pans out, the owner of the car gives a nonchalant shrug, so I can't say that he seems particularly concerned. Rest assured, the AA says, "it's ok" and help is at hand, even for cars that are beaten up to the extreme.

The campaign is part of a collaboration between The Gate and Goodstuff, working with the AA towards a more playful marketing strategy. Chief creative officer of The Gate, Lucas Peon, says that this new collaboration is a way to "really resonate with people" by harnessing the nostalgia of the franchise. Observant fans may recognise the original assets from Street Fighter 2, released in 1991, but will this move spark a resurgence of more '90s classics? 

Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter Destroying a silver car
Ken and Ryu from Street Fighter Destroying a silver car

(Image credit: The Gate)

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Lots of brands seem to be hopping on the nostalgia train, but who doesn't love a blast from the past? Here are some other brands that are hitting us hard with the nostalgia.

This collaboration has certainly got us missing simpler times, and if you're still craving the classics, check out our collection of the best retro consoles this year.