McDonald's Japan has announced the postponement of a children's menu toy promotion following significant backlash regarding its recent Pokémon giveaway. The fast-food restaurant's collaboration with the beloved pirate-themed manga series "One Piece," originally set to launch on August 29, will not proceed as planned due to concerns stemming from previous promotions.
Earlier this month, the introduction of limited-edition Pokémon cards with its "Happy Set" meals led to significant customer frenzy, long queues, and reports of bulk-buying. Images circulated online depicted bags of uneaten food left discarded on the streets, exacerbated by claims that individuals were reselling the sought-after cards for profit.
McDonald's Japan stated in an official announcement that it is "reviewing" its Happy Set-related initiatives as a response to the overwhelming demand for the Pokémon cards, which resulted in many outlets running out of stock on the very first day of the promotion. In lieu of the new One Piece toys, McDonald's will revert to distributing toys previously included in their Happy Sets.
In light of the situation, the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan has urged McDonald's to enhance its sales strategies and address the rising issue of food wastage connected to the recent campaigns. The "One Piece" manga series, which debuted in 1997 alongside its animated counterpart, remains incredibly popular in Japan, driving high engagement and merchandise sales, including related card games and collectibles.
This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has faced criticism over promotional events, as past campaigns, such as the collaboration with the "Chiikawa" manga, also met with similar issues of card resales. Following the Pokémon incident, McDonald's issued a public apology and vowed to implement measures that would prevent any such occurrences in the future.
With Pokémon cards being highly sought after by both children and adult collectors alike, some cards from the recent promotion are fetching staggering prices on auction sites, exemplified by one featuring the character Pikachu listed at over £25,000 ($33,000). As a result of the fallout, McDonald's plans to reconsider the restrictions placed on the volume of Happy Set meals available for purchase to mitigate further problems related to product reselling.
Earlier this month, the introduction of limited-edition Pokémon cards with its "Happy Set" meals led to significant customer frenzy, long queues, and reports of bulk-buying. Images circulated online depicted bags of uneaten food left discarded on the streets, exacerbated by claims that individuals were reselling the sought-after cards for profit.
McDonald's Japan stated in an official announcement that it is "reviewing" its Happy Set-related initiatives as a response to the overwhelming demand for the Pokémon cards, which resulted in many outlets running out of stock on the very first day of the promotion. In lieu of the new One Piece toys, McDonald's will revert to distributing toys previously included in their Happy Sets.
In light of the situation, the Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan has urged McDonald's to enhance its sales strategies and address the rising issue of food wastage connected to the recent campaigns. The "One Piece" manga series, which debuted in 1997 alongside its animated counterpart, remains incredibly popular in Japan, driving high engagement and merchandise sales, including related card games and collectibles.
This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has faced criticism over promotional events, as past campaigns, such as the collaboration with the "Chiikawa" manga, also met with similar issues of card resales. Following the Pokémon incident, McDonald's issued a public apology and vowed to implement measures that would prevent any such occurrences in the future.
With Pokémon cards being highly sought after by both children and adult collectors alike, some cards from the recent promotion are fetching staggering prices on auction sites, exemplified by one featuring the character Pikachu listed at over £25,000 ($33,000). As a result of the fallout, McDonald's plans to reconsider the restrictions placed on the volume of Happy Set meals available for purchase to mitigate further problems related to product reselling.
