McDonald's Japan recently announced it is postponing a promotional campaign featuring toys based on the beloved manga series, "One Piece," amid a wave of complaints following its previous Pokémon toy giveaway. The decision comes after unsatisfactory results from the Pokémon promotion, which prompted concerns about significant food wastage and the resale of exclusive collectible cards.
In early August, McDonald's engaged customers with a "Happy Set" meal promotion that included limited-edition Pokémon cards. However, the excitement quickly turned into chaos, with long queues forming outside outlets and reports of customers buying the meals in bulk. Social media was flooded with images of uneaten food being discarded as consumers hoarded the Pokémon cards, which are highly sought after and have led some to resell them at inflated prices online.
Due to overwhelming demand, many stores ran out of the Pokémon cards within a day, despite the promotion being scheduled for three days. Following these events, customers can now expect toys from previous Happy Set promotions instead of the anticipated "One Piece" themed items, which were set to debut on August 29.
The situation raised alarms from Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency, which advised McDonald's to refine its sales strategies and implement measures to reduce food waste. The "One Piece" franchise is immensely popular in Japan, consisting of a long-running series of comics and an animated show that debuted in 1999, centered around the adventures of a young pirate on a quest for treasure.
McDonald's has faced similar challenges in past promotions; an earlier campaign in collaboration with the "Chiikawa" series experienced issues related to online resales as well. After the Pokémon incident, the company extended a public apology and committed to adjustments aimed at preventing future occurrences of large-scale reselling and food waste, indicating a stricter approach to promotional sales.
The Pokémon card phenomenon captivates a wide audience, from children to adult collectors, making them highly coveted items in the trading market. One specific card from the recent giveaway, featuring the iconic Pikachu, was seen listed for over £25,000 ($33,000) on auction platforms.
In light of the backlash from the Pokémon promotion, McDonald’s has vowed to review its promotional strategies and impose limits on the number of Happy Set meals a customer can purchase in attempts to mitigate the issues of store congestion and excess food waste.
In early August, McDonald's engaged customers with a "Happy Set" meal promotion that included limited-edition Pokémon cards. However, the excitement quickly turned into chaos, with long queues forming outside outlets and reports of customers buying the meals in bulk. Social media was flooded with images of uneaten food being discarded as consumers hoarded the Pokémon cards, which are highly sought after and have led some to resell them at inflated prices online.
Due to overwhelming demand, many stores ran out of the Pokémon cards within a day, despite the promotion being scheduled for three days. Following these events, customers can now expect toys from previous Happy Set promotions instead of the anticipated "One Piece" themed items, which were set to debut on August 29.
The situation raised alarms from Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency, which advised McDonald's to refine its sales strategies and implement measures to reduce food waste. The "One Piece" franchise is immensely popular in Japan, consisting of a long-running series of comics and an animated show that debuted in 1999, centered around the adventures of a young pirate on a quest for treasure.
McDonald's has faced similar challenges in past promotions; an earlier campaign in collaboration with the "Chiikawa" series experienced issues related to online resales as well. After the Pokémon incident, the company extended a public apology and committed to adjustments aimed at preventing future occurrences of large-scale reselling and food waste, indicating a stricter approach to promotional sales.
The Pokémon card phenomenon captivates a wide audience, from children to adult collectors, making them highly coveted items in the trading market. One specific card from the recent giveaway, featuring the iconic Pikachu, was seen listed for over £25,000 ($33,000) on auction platforms.
In light of the backlash from the Pokémon promotion, McDonald’s has vowed to review its promotional strategies and impose limits on the number of Happy Set meals a customer can purchase in attempts to mitigate the issues of store congestion and excess food waste.
