McDonald’s in Japan has withdrawn Pokémon cards from Happy Meals. The campaign caused chaos and food waste
Last weekend, McDonald’s Japan launched a special campaign designed to delight children and fans of the popular Pokémon brand. As part of the Happy Meal children’s menu (called Happy Set in Japan), customers could receive limited edition Pokémon trading cards. However, the promotion turned into an unexpected problem—instead of joy and interest in the toy, it became a symbol of waste and business speculation.
Interest in the cards was enormous. Shortly after sales began, some customers started buying dozens of Happy Meals just for the cards, which have considerable value on the secondary market. The food itself often ended up in trash cans or even thrown out on the street. Photos of bags full of uneaten hamburgers and fries quickly appeared on social media, sparking a wave of criticism. In Japan, where a culture of order and anti-waste is deeply rooted, such scenes had a particularly negative impact.
McDonald’s responded quickly, withdrawing the entire campaign within a few hours. In its statement, it said that it “strongly disagrees with the purchase of children’s meals solely for the sake of toys or cards and the disposal of the food itself.” According to the company, this trend contradicts its philosophy, which is to focus on families, children, and positive experiences with its products. Company representatives also acknowledged that their response to the initial problems was too slow and apologized to customers. The situation also showed how strong the Pokémon phenomenon still is in Japan. Limited edition cards sell for hundreds or even thousands of yen among collectors, and for some customers, this is an attractive opportunity for quick profits. Add to that the absence of restrictions on purchasing multiple menus, and the stage was set for mass buying.
McDonald’s therefore plans to introduce stricter rules in the future. Individual customers will only be able to order a limited number of Happy Meals, not only when purchasing directly in the restaurant, but also through mobile apps and delivery services. If a customer repeatedly violates the rules or behaves inappropriately towards staff, their customer account may even be canceled.
The whole affair became a hot topic in Japan and highlighted that even a well-intentioned marketing campaign can have unexpected and undesirable consequences. In preparing similar campaigns in the future, McDonald’s will have to take into account not only business opportunities but also the risks associated with the behavior of some customers.
Photo source: www.pexels.com
Author of this article
WAS THIS ARTICLE HELPFUL?
Support us to keep up the good work and to provide you even better content. Your donations will be used to help students get access to quality content for free and pay our contributors’ salaries, who work hard to create this website content! Thank you for all your support!
OR CONTINUE READING