No doubt, the "Pokemon Go" mania has overtaken many people's time and lives. Its rise as the most in-demand gaming app is unstoppable as users have become addicted to the augmented reality mobile game.
Even U.S. presidential candidates are jumping on the "Pokemon Go" bandwagon, proving that it has indeed grown popular with the public. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been using the gaming app -- or at least semblance of it -- in its campaign to woo voters.
Hillary Clinton and 'Pokemon Go'
Hillary Clinton's campaign team hosted a Pokestop event in the weekend of July 16. Pokestops are sites that players can visit in "Pokemon Go" in order to gain random items to help with their game progress.
Hillary Clinton's Pokestop at Madison in Ohio had random items and free Pokemon for "Pokemon Go" enthusiasts, including their kids. At the same time, it was used for her campaign team to spread the word about the secretary's presidential platform face-to-face with voters. The Wall Street Journal reports that Hillary Clinton's campaign also makes use of "Pokemon Go" to convince voters to go to the polls and cast their votes come Election Day.
nice https://t.co/hXMFXezSIQ pic.twitter.com/dMHEtnLZ5i
— Maya Kosoff (@mekosoff) July 14, 2016
Donald Trump and 'Pokemon Go'
Clinton's opponent, Donald Trump, used "Pokemon Go" in a different way in his campaign. About the same time Hillary Clinton's team ran their Pokestops, Donald Trump's team launched an ad on Facebook, which was inspired by "Pokemon Go."
The video, called "Crooked Hillary," presented Hillary Clinton as the monster. Once this monster was captured using a pokeball, it revealed its true colors and destiny as an "unemployed." Watch it below.
Game Rant reports that Donald Trump's home, the Trump Tower, has been identified as a Pokemon gym in "Pokemon Go." It is mainly used for Pokemon training in the game. Just like in real life, players can bring their monsters to the site to build the Pokemon's strength and battle skills.
It is unclear why "Pokemon Go" developer Niantic chose the Trump Tower as a gym and it could be seen as political advertising. It's also unclear if Trump's camp is aware that the site is a popular destination in the game.
