Japan's Biggest Pitchman: Godzilla in Commercials

With the new Godzilla movie opening in 10 days, the monstrous marketing campaign at Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures is now kicking into full gear. Case in point: a brand new commercial featuring the new Godzilla dropped this week for FIAT.



This isn't the first time that Godzilla has starred in American commercials for comedic effect. Commecials have long spoofed the popular image of Godzilla, but the real Godzilla -- licensed from Toho -- has also been popping up in North American commercials in one form or the other since the 1970s, especially during the 1998 marketing campaign for the American remake. Please enjoy this sampling of North American TV ads featuring Godzilla.

S.H. MonsterArts: Exciting New Godzilla Toys

This November, Bandai is releasing a new line of figures called S.H. MonsterArts. The first two figures in the line will be Godzilla and Mechagodzilla as they appeared in 1993/1994. I couldn't be MORE excited.

There are two reasons I can't pass up these figures.

• 1.) The Hensei era Godzilla (as he appeared in the films from 1991-1995) is my preferred Godzilla design

• Although there have been countless Godzilla and Mechagodzilla figures before these, none have been so detailed or so articulated. Godzilla has at least 29 points of articulation -- articulation that is based on the S.H. Figuarts style. You can even put these monsters into their swimming or flying poses.

Despite the currency exchange from Yen to Canadian dollars and the diecast parts involved, which will crank up the price, I am at the least going to splurge and order this Godzilla figure. Hope I don't get addicted, because Bandai already has plans to follow up with the release of the 1994 Space Godzilla and Moguera, which they displayed in this amazing diorama at the 2011 Comic-Con.