In a surprising turn of events, McDonald’s Japan has decided to cancel its popular Pokémon card promotion, which was part of the children’s Happy Set meals. Reports came out of resellers throwing out grocery armfuls of food just to score a pack of the most popular Pokémon cards. These cards can fetch hundreds or thousands of dollars, incentivizing this extreme practice.
The Pokémon cards were an instant craze with the collectability factor. Kids quickly got in on the action, enthusiastically purchasing dapper new toys such as miniature plastic Pikachu figures. Representing different monsters, their qualities, abilities and initiative order AC, these cards can be played in tabletop RPG monster encounters. Despite that inauspicious start, their popularity resulted in a quick sellout within the first day, local media are reporting.
McDonald’s Happy Sets, once thought to bring happiness to a child’s stomach, have turned into a warzone for avid collectors. Resellers took complete advantage of the opportunity this promotion created. They auctioned off Pokémon cards on the Internet for as much as tens of thousands of yen, much higher than the original sale price of 510 (about $5.30). The high resale value of these cards has led to some truly alarming situations. We’ve witnessed bRAWLz and B&E’s at brick and mortars that carry em.
Given these changes, McDonald’s Japan would certainly be disappointed with the turn of events.
“We do not believe in abandoning and discarding food. This situation goes against our longtime philosophy that we have cherished as a restaurant to offer a fun dining experience for children and families,” – McDonald’s.
The company graciously took full responsibility for not being prepared enough for the promotion.
“We sincerely accept that our preparations had not been adequate.” – McDonald’s.
The surprise mania over the Pokémon cards has made some worried about their effect on the community. Violence has flared over these collectibles in a country not accustomed to violent crime. This disturbing trend highlights just how far people are willing to go to get their hands on rare cards.
Shops that typically carry Pokémon merchandise have already experienced looting, adding to the wild environment created by this promotion. Furthermore, collectors know the importance of protective sleeves and cases, which help preserve the integrity of valuable cards. Despite clear pandemic precedents against it, this has not prevented some from resorting to strong-arm tactics to extract profit.
The Pokémon card promotion’s cancellation is symptomatic of a bigger evolution in McDonald’s attitude towards attracting and nurturing customers. As the growing chain works to expand without losing touch with its hold doors, it’s committed to making family dining a safe experience again. While that litigation continues to play out, it’s unclear what changes this will bring to future promotions and customer engagement efforts.
