Barter Advertising

Nintendo of America was so poor in the '80s that it was "bartering" for 2am TV commercials while employees had to dodge "snakes and rats in the bathroom"

In the 1980s, Nintendo of America faced severe financial constraints, leading to employees working in poor conditions and resorting to bartering for advertising time. Early employees recounted experiences of dealing with snakes and rats in the workplace and creatively securing TV commercials, even at 2 am, through barter deals with entities like Toys R Us.