CAPCOM, publisher of the Ace Attorney series has lent their iconic characters to the Osaka prefecture police in Japan as part of their anti-marijuana campaign.
Phoenix Wright, and his cast of merry characters, will be used on promotional leaflets, posters, and pamphlets handed out to the youth of Japan in an effort to fight youth drug usage, with the character’s fame and notoriety believed to be a good poster boy to ward off youth drug abuse.
The leaflets and posters will be displayed in educational facilities, police stations, railway stations, and other public places around the prefecture. Over 6,000 posters and 4,000 flyers will be distributed with them reading “Say NO! to marijuana use.”
Publisher CAPCOM has previously lent their characters for public service announcements and campaigns, with CAPCOM first working with the Japanese government in 2009. In 2013, they worked with law enforcement for crime prevention campaigns, so this isn’t out of the blue for the giant of publishing.
CAPCOM said in its press release: “Our corporate motto is ‘A sensitive development of business that creates a culture of fun.’ Abiding by this creed, we will proactively grapple with societal issues, starting with climate change. We aim for lasting growth under a harmonious relationship of trust with all our stakeholders and the earth’s environment.”.
Phoenix Wright’s reputation has been boosted again in recent years with the trilogy remastered for modern consoles and audiences in the west on consoles like Xbox, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch back in 2019.
The most recent entry in the franchise was released July 2021, The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve which is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.
