Capcom Japan using Street Fighter characters in police recruitment campaign

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So, imagine that you’ve just left the grocery store, and your car has gone missing. You call the local law enforcement agency, and Street Fighter’s own Chun Li shows up. I’m pretty sure the streets would be cleaned up in no time at all, given that it’s being patrolled by The Strongest Woman in the World.

Ok, so that scenario might not be possible, but it appears that the police in Osaka, Japan are hoping that the larger-than-life heroes of the Street Fighter series might help inspire a new generation of tech-savvy police officers. The Osaka Prefectural Police has teamed with publisher Capcom for a new run of recruitment posters featuring Chun-Li, Ryu and other figureheads from the popular fighting game franchise.

A press release from Capcom says that Street Fighter was “Selected for the brand’s powerful image, its popularity among a broad range of age groups, and the affinity that esports has with cyberspace. The characters will be featured in investigator recruiting advertisements with the aim of boosting awareness of and the number of investigators specializing in cyber-crime” in a statement that uses the term “cyber” twice without a hint of irony.

It is hoped that the campaign will bring in a host of tech-minded new recruits, who will help fight the growing concerns of online crime such as fraud and extortion. It’s actually pretty smart to use a popular video game brand to pull in people already well-versed in the internet, online forums, social media, smartphones and other exploitable technology. Thousands of posters and flyers featuring the campaign are set to be distributed throughout Osaka in the immediate future.

Street Fighter characters utilised in cyber-crime recruiter advertising [Official]