Nintendo Character Profile | Reginald Fils-Aime

 
Reggie Fils-Aime
Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Nintendo of America Inc.
Profile by James Temperton [ tempo88 :: Features Editor :: Head of Cubed³ PR ]

Introduction

Reggie Fils-Aime has become something of a cult figure since his 'unveiling' at E3 2004 (yes, the DS wasn't the only brand new item on show, the unmasking of Mr. Fils-Aime was also something of a revelation). Since then the man who is all about kicking arse and taking names (whatever that means) has ploughed his way through a plethora of sound bites and evil glares to blast his way into the hearts of many-a-gamer.

Statistics

Age: Nobody seems to know, an educated guess would place him 35/40 years old.
Species: 1980s TV Presenter Wannabe/Humanoid
Location: Redmond, Washington
Birth: Undoubtedly painful for his mother, Reggie instantly demanded that everyone tell him their names and then proceeded to kick their collective arses, soon after he revealed his ambitions to look like a 1980s TV Star/Porn Actor and take over the world with his chiselled jaw and stunning hair.
Main Features: Something about him reminds us of Donkey Kong, perhaps it is the large head, wide nose and 'I will crush you expression'. Piercing gaze and one of the best haircuts to grace this earth…ever. Reggie is a real looker, and if you disagree he has hands the size of a Vauxhall Astra just waiting to crush you.
Clothing: Rarely seen in public (possibly because he is allergic to daylight, these rumours are at present unconfirmed), but when he does go out in public he knows how to dress to impress. Sharp suits with large shoulder-pads, combined with some of the best ties you will ever see. Just picture him presenting CNN during the late 1980s…works, doesn't it?

Concept

Reggie has one objective in life, to kick arse and take names (so he said at E3), but we all know he is so much more of a person than just a systematic spank-o-matic name-taking machine. A graduate of Cornell University, Fils-Aime began his career at Procter & Gamble, and later became senior vice president for Panda Management Co., the world's leading Chinese food-service company. He also served as senior director for national marketing at Pizza Hut, where he launched the Bigfoot Pizza (disturbingly appropriate).
As U.S. marketing chief for Guinness Import Co., Fils-Aime oversaw all brands, including Guinness stout, Bass ale, Harp lager and Pilsner Urquell, as well as managing brand relationships with third-party owners in the United Kingdom, Jamaica and the Czech Republic. And when you see how much we drink here in the UK it is quite clear he is good at his job.
As chief marketing officer for Derby Cycle Corp., he not only directed worldwide sales and marketing for eight separate brands, including Raleigh, Diamondback and Univega, but also was acting managing director of the company's United Kingdom operations. Now, we ask you to imagine Mr. Fils-Aime on a bike…
During his tenure at VH1, Fils-Aime engineered the channel's redirection to young viewers that resulted in an overall 30 percent rating growth, and he created and executed the marketing plans for The Concert for New York City, which raised more than $35 million for disaster relief in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. We can't joke about this, Reggie has certainly done some very good work and his talents must be respected.
Fils-Aime's professional awards include a Clio, two Gold EFFIEs, an AICP award for advertising excellence and a Silver Edison from the American Marketing Institute. He also was named to the "Marketing 100" by Advertising Age in 1998. Thankfully Reggie has never appeared in any adverts himself, except for one where he was promoting authentic 'Monster Masks'…we kid you not.

Appearances

For Nintendo (as far as we know), just the following two:

Private Nintendo Event (2004)


My name is Reggie, I'm about kickin' ass, takin' names, and we're about makin' games!
Click here to listen to the famous quote!

Best Appearance

With not much to choose from, there is only one winner. When File-Aime thundered onto the stage and boomed 'My name is Reggie, I'm about kicking arse and taking names, and we're about making games' in his shrill American accent the whole industry had a sound bite they could use for months on end. Will it ever wear old? Probably, but we are not about to give up wearing it so thin it hurts. Seeing his car-sized hands drowning the tiny Nintendo DS and his regular 'inconspicuous' swipes at Microsoft and Sony were an inspiration, and to be quite honest a good laugh. Anyone who can remember him comparing the DS to going for a drive in a car has the basic essence or Reggie: make a point in a stupid and overtly-masculine fashion that will stick in people's minds and enable the American populous to catch on.

Do Not Mention...

That his hair looks like a microphone. Let's be honest here, it is a little bit silly, isn't it? Even higher on his list of cusses are the two words 'Microsoft' and 'Sony'. Rumour has it that if Reggie hears someone speak these words his fists fly off the ends of his arms (similar to the power-punch of the Red Zord in Power Rangers during the early days) and kill the person uttering the words instantly. He then stands up at full height, beats his chest and howls "MY NAME IS REGGIE, HEAR ME ROAR!". It is also not advisable to remind him that the year is 2004, for obvious style-related reasons.

In closing...

Whilst we make a habit of having fun at his expense, he is a very good acquisition for Nintendo. The man who lit up E3 2004 and gave everyone something to smile about is one of the most instantly recognisable people in gaming. He may scare us to hell and make women faint with one flirtatious wink, but that doesn't stop us wanting to take his name all day long (and that name by the way is pronounced FEES-oe-MEY, just so you know). Reggie, we salute you; from a distance...