Is Mario just that popular or have Canadians gone apolitical?

I don’t know where they got the idea to do it, but Nintendo Canada commissioned Harris/Decima to do some research on the iconic character created by Shigeru Miyamoto. According to the survey, more people can identify a photo of Mario, than can identify a photo of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Even in Calgary, Harper’s hometown, Mario was more recognizable (47% vs 41%). Women were also more likely to identify Mario than the country’s top politician (66% vs 63%). Nationwide, everybody’s favorite plumber is just as well-known as the prime minister, both being recognized 70% of the time. The photographs used were unavailable, though, and keep in mind that images can be pretty subjective.

Mario also outshone opposition leader Stephane Dion. Less than half of Canadians surveyed - 48 per cent - were able to identify Dion’s photo, which included a Canadian flag in the background. In fact, in Montreal, which includes Dion’s hometown, more people recognized Mario than the Liberal party leader (78 per cent vs. 71 per cent). This guy doesn’t have a prayer if he tries to run for Prime Minister.

“Canadian politicians are lucky Mario doesn’t have his Canadian citizenship and could campaign for office,” said Ron Bertram, general manager of Nintendo of Canada. “It’s no surprise that Mario is more recognized than high-profile politicians: he’s entertained generations of Canadians and inspires only happy thoughts.” Hmmm… so I guess even Peter Pan has a shot a Canadian politics, no?

The survey was conducted between October 11 and October 16 via mall intercepts with randomly selected Canadians in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto GTA, Montreal and Halifax. The sample margin of error is +/- 5.5%, 19 times out of 20. Surveys were conducted in both English and French. Results are weighted to reflect Statistics Canada regional populations.

Nintendo’s Mario character is the bestselling video game franchise of all time, selling more than 200-million units worldwide. Mario has appeared in more than 200 games since his debut in the original Donkey Kong® in 1981. He first headlined a title in 1983 in Mario Bros.® and soon after in the revolutionary Super Mario Bros.® in 1985 on the Nintendo Entertainment System® (NES).

Here’s a cartoon about the survey from Filibuster: