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Business Insider
23 minutes ago
- Business Insider
How McDonald's big bet on Pokémon cards ended with 24 hours of grown men fighting, pigeons snapping up fries, and scalpers cashing in
McDonald's launched a Happy Meal with Pokmon trading cards in Japan, and all hell broke loose. Picture Happy Meals in bike baskets, grown men fighting, and pigeons feasting on fries. The collaboration showed the power of the red-hot collectibles industry. This week, the fast food chain hit the jackpot in Japan with the help of colorful trading cards emblazoned with Pikachu the lightning rat, the source of much millennial nostalgia. The fast food chain announced that from August 9 to 11, customers could snag an exclusive pack of Pokmon cards with every Happy Meal purchase. Each set was priced at roughly 500 yen, or $3.50, with a five-meal-per-person limit. But before the first day was over, McDonald's pulled the plug on the promotion. The deal hadmorphed into a chaotic sprint for superfans and scalpers alike. In a press release on August 11, McDonald's confirmed that the campaign had resulted in customers buying large quantities of the meals for resale, which led to congestion in stores and food waste. "McDonald's does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of resale, or the abandonment or disposal of food," the release said, adding that it would impose stricter purchase limits in the future. McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. From meltdowns to pigeons on fries Soon after the promo launched on August 9, social media feeds were filled with surreal scenes: bags of Happy Meals abandoned in stores, piled outside outlets, or stuffed into bike baskets. Buyers were snapping up multiple Happy Meals for the exclusive cards, often ditching the food. # # #? # # — 11 (@SkE3eyFOzdSnwME) August 10, 2025 Kiko Ochoa-Beovides and Madison Hodges told Business Insider they snapped up around 20 Happy Meals to collect the toy sets and Pokmon cards. They hadn't expected to find any. On Sunday, the pair stopped by a McDonald's on the Yokosuka Fleet base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, and were surprised to find cards in stock. "We called everywhere and they were completely sold out," said Ochoa-Beovides, 22, an American who moved to Yokosuka in May. Hodges, 21, who moved to Japan last August, added: "As soon as they told us they had them in stock, we went right over." They bought 15 meals on their first trip, then returned two hours later for another 10. They ended up with so much food that they drove around handing out free Happy Meals to make sure nothing went to waste. They told Business Insider that the restaurant let them place unlimited orders. Others weren't as charitable. A video posted on Saturday — the first day of the promo — showed two people dumping multiple bags of Happy Meals straight into the trash. # # — (@APEXsaikooou39) August 9, 2025 Some customers took to social media to gripe about snaking queues and hourlong waits. "There was a huge line, far surpassing the time of Chiikawa," X user "hinoko" wrote on X on Saturday, referring to McDonald's Japan's tie-in with the popular rabbit-like anime character. "I waited for nearly an hour, with people in line getting irritated," they wrote. In some cases, the frustration reached a boiling point. At one outlet in Japan, two men — one of them juggling armfuls of McDonald's bags — got into a heated argument. A video of the altercation, posted on Saturday, went viral on TikTok, racking up about 11 million views by Thursday. @satou19880303 15 # - - The chaos also spilled into the online hours, the Pokmon cards — and even the untouched meals — were listed on resale sites for as much as 2,000 yen, nearly four times the original price. On Thursday, Business Insider saw dozens of Pokmon card listings on Mercari, Japan's largest online resale marketplace, with some priced as high as 3,000 yen. 100 # # # — 3 (@pooh_yan0131) August 8, 2025 The frenzy moved from human hands to pigeon beaks. A viral post on Sunday showed pigeons on the usually impeccable streets of Shibuya pecking at food scraps on the pavement next to crumpled McDonald's bags. "Early morning chaos in Shibuya. McDonald's burgers and fries were scattered on the streets, turning into a feast for pigeons," the post on X read. — Z (@iijNWqUQ7i41630) August 9, 2025 A home run collaboration Globally, McDonald's is no stranger to high-profile brand collaborations. Some promotions, like their BTS meals and Hello Kitty giveaways, have similarly resulted in massive crowds and a shortage of collectible items. In its most recent earnings call, CFO Ian Frederick Borden said McDonald's partnership with "A Minecraft Movie," which was held in more than 100 markets, had an "incredibly strong" response from consumers. Most of its Minecraft collectibles sold out ahead of the intended promotion window. Kieran Gibb, the founder of Monogic, a Hong Kong-based food and beverage marketing company, called the McDonald's Pokmon Happy Meal a "home run collaboration." He said it drew in customers of all ages, from children to nostalgic adult collectors. Frenzy is an effect that is "incredibly hard to achieve," said Gibb. "McDonald's has tapped into a brand with super fandom at a period in time where collectability is at its sheer peak," Gibb added. Pokmon has had generations of fans since its debut in the late 1990s, said Ryan Hoge, the president of Professional Sports Authenticator, atrading card grading company. "Now, those original fans are in their 30s and 40s, have disposable income, and are sharing their fandom with their children," Hoge said. "It's become a generational hobby and connection point." The promotion was launched shortly after McDonald's reported strong second-quarter results. Same-store sales in its international developmental licensed markets segment grew by more than 5.5%, led by Japan. Tapping into a booming collectible market Trading cards — and the collectibles industry at large — are red-hot now. Adam Goulston, Japan's strategic advisor for the Singapore-based public relations and marketing agency Ellerton & Co., told Business Insider that the real target of the Happy Meals trading cards was collectors and resellers, for whom the meals were a "very cheap way to acquire limited-edition inventory for resale." Buying and selling trading cards is made easy by platforms like Mercari in Japan and eBay outside Japan, Goulston said. The McDonald's Pikachu card will hold value because of collectors who chase specific characters, Hoge said Pikachu is arguably one of the most popular Pokmon card characters of all time. There's also a sprawling industry to hold up the resale value of these cards — and big money in it. Some Pokmon cards have been sold for millions. In 2022, the YouTuber Logan Paul clinched a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokmon card sold in a private auction, having paid $5,275,000 for his PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card. Collectibles of all sorts are also flying off the shelves. A consumer group called "kidults" — who go all in on board games, figurines, and plush toys like Labubu — is fueling the growth of the toy sector. Madness might leave a 'sour taste' for McDonald's, brand experts say The Pokmon Happy Meal frenzy could still lead to trouble for McDonald's. The Japanese care about social etiquette and reducing food waste — and this isn't a good look. Gibb from Monogic said the chaos may have left "a sour taste" in the mouths of its Japanese consumer base. However, Guy Llewelyn, a professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Singapore, said the collaboration was a net positive for McDonald's.
Business Insider
31 minutes ago
- Business Insider
How McDonald's big bet on Pokémon cards ended with 24 hours of grown men fighting, pigeons snapping up fries, and scalpers cashing in
Not all McDonald's promotions are created equal. This week, the fast food chain hit the jackpot in Japan with the help of colorful trading cards emblazoned with Pikachu the lightning rat, the source of much millennial nostalgia. The fast food chain announced that from August 9 to 11, customers could snag an exclusive pack of Pokémon cards with every Happy Meal purchase. Each set was priced at roughly 500 yen, or $3.50, with a five-meal-per-person limit. But before the first day was over, McDonald's pulled the plug on the promotion. The deal had morphed into a chaotic sprint for superfans and scalpers alike. In a press release on August 11, McDonald's confirmed that the campaign had resulted in customers buying large quantities of the meals for resale, which led to congestion in stores and food waste. "McDonald's does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of resale, or the abandonment or disposal of food," the release said, adding that it would impose stricter purchase limits in the future. McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. From meltdowns to pigeons on fries Soon after the promo launched on August 9, social media feeds were filled with surreal scenes: bags of Happy Meals abandoned in stores, piled outside outlets, or stuffed into bike baskets. Buyers were snapping up multiple Happy Meals for the exclusive cards, often ditching the food. #マクドナルド #日本マクドナルド #アンハッピーセット 商売繁盛おめでとうございます 廃棄されることが自明のセット作るの 店員の皆さまは楽しかったですか? #フードロス削減 だの ウソ発信しないでくださいね #マクドナルド不買運動 — チャーニー11 (@SkE3eyFOzdSnwME) August 10, 2025 Kiko Ochoa-Beovides and Madison Hodges told Business Insider they snapped up around 20 Happy Meals to collect the toy sets and Pokémon cards. They hadn't expected to find any. On Sunday, the pair stopped by a McDonald's on the Yokosuka Fleet base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, and were surprised to find cards in stock. "We called everywhere and they were completely sold out," said Ochoa-Beovides, 22, an American who moved to Yokosuka in May. Hodges, 21, who moved to Japan last August, added: "As soon as they told us they had them in stock, we went right over." They bought 15 meals on their first trip, then returned two hours later for another 10. They ended up with so much food that they drove around handing out free Happy Meals to make sure nothing went to waste. They told Business Insider that the restaurant let them place unlimited orders. Others weren't as charitable. A video posted on Saturday — the first day of the promo — showed two people dumping multiple bags of Happy Meals straight into the trash. #マクドナルド #ハッピーセット ハッピーセット転売したいんか知らんけど毎度のことやけど買い占めの度を超えてない？ほんでバーガーは捨てるってモラル欠如しすぎやろ、まじでどうにかして欲しいわ。もったいない😞 — みあき (@APEXsaikooou39) August 9, 2025 Some customers took to social media to gripe about snaking queues and hourlong waits. "There was a huge line, far surpassing the time of Chiikawa," X user "hinoko" wrote on X on Saturday, referring to McDonald's Japan's tie-in with the popular rabbit-like anime character. "I waited for nearly an hour, with people in line getting irritated," they wrote. In some cases, the frustration reached a boiling point. At one outlet in Japan, two men — one of them juggling armfuls of McDonald's bags — got into a heated argument. A video of the altercation, posted on Saturday, went viral on TikTok, racking up about 11 million views by Thursday. @satou19880303 マクドナルドでポケモンハッピーセット1人5セットなのに４０個買った人に注意してた人まぢ勇者 #バズれ ♬ オリジナル楽曲 - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ The chaos also spilled into the online resale hours, the Pokémon cards — and even the untouched meals — were listed on resale sites for as much as 2,000 yen, nearly four times the original price. On Thursday, Business Insider saw dozens of Pokémon card listings on Mercari, Japan's largest online resale marketplace, with some priced as high as 3,000 yen. 朝マック買いに行ったらこれ。 店前にも100人以上並んでる。 あかんやろこれ。。。 ちなみに日本語は聞こえない。。。 #マクドナルド #ハッピーセット #ポケモンカード — プ〜やん🐷3連系ニキ🐷 (@pooh_yan0131) August 8, 2025 The frenzy moved from human hands to pigeon beaks. A viral post on Sunday showed pigeons on the usually impeccable streets of Shibuya pecking at food scraps on the pavement next to crumpled McDonald's bags. "Early morning chaos in Shibuya. McDonald's burgers and fries were scattered on the streets, turning into a feast for pigeons," the post on X read. 早朝の渋谷のカオス。 マクドナルドのバーガーやポテトが道にばら撒かれた結果、ハトの大宴会が開かれている模様。 買った食品は責任持って食べきっていただきたいし、ゴミは持ち帰っていただきたい。 — スミレンジャーZ（愛称スミレちゃん、元スラウザーです） (@iijNWqUQ7i41630) August 9, 2025 A home run collaboration Globally, McDonald's is no stranger to high-profile brand collaborations. Some promotions, like their BTS meals and Hello Kitty giveaways, have similarly resulted in massive crowds and a shortage of collectible items. In its most recent earnings call, CFO Ian Frederick Borden said McDonald's partnership with "A Minecraft Movie," which was held in more than 100 markets, had an "incredibly strong" response from consumers. Most of its Minecraft collectibles sold out ahead of the intended promotion window. Kieran Gibb, the founder of Monogic, a Hong Kong-based food and beverage marketing company, called the McDonald's Pokémon Happy Meal a "home run collaboration." He said it drew in customers of all ages, from children to nostalgic adult collectors. Frenzy is an effect that is "incredibly hard to achieve," said Gibb. "McDonald's has tapped into a brand with super fandom at a period in time where collectability is at its sheer peak," Gibb added. Pokémon has had generations of fans since its debut in the late 1990s, said Ryan Hoge, the president of Professional Sports Authenticator, a trading card grading company. "Now, those original fans are in their 30s and 40s, have disposable income, and are sharing their fandom with their children," Hoge said. "It's become a generational hobby and connection point." The promotion was launched shortly after McDonald's reported strong second-quarter results. Same-store sales in its international developmental licensed markets segment grew by more than 5.5%, led by Japan. Tapping into a booming collectible market Trading cards — and the collectibles industry at large — are red-hot now. Adam Goulston, Japan's strategic advisor for the Singapore-based public relations and marketing agency Ellerton & Co., told Business Insider that the real target of the Happy Meals trading cards was collectors and resellers, for whom the meals were a "very cheap way to acquire limited-edition inventory for resale." Buying and selling trading cards is made easy by platforms like Mercari in Japan and eBay outside Japan, Goulston said. The McDonald's Pikachu card will hold value because of collectors who chase specific characters, Hoge said. He said Pikachu is arguably one of the most popular Pokémon card characters of all time. There's also a sprawling industry to hold up the resale value of these cards — and big money in it. Some Pokémon cards have been sold for millions. In 2022, the YouTuber Logan Paul clinched a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card sold in a private auction, having paid $5,275,000 for his PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card. Collectibles of all sorts are also flying off the shelves. A consumer group called "kidults" — who go all in on board games, figurines, and plush toys like Labubu — is fueling the growth of the toy sector. Madness might leave a 'sour taste' for McDonald's, brand experts say The Pokémon Happy Meal frenzy could still lead to trouble for McDonald's. The Japanese care about social etiquette and reducing food waste — and this isn't a good look. Gibb from Monogic said the chaos may have left "a sour taste" in the mouths of its Japanese consumer base. However, Guy Llewelyn, a professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Singapore, said the collaboration was a net positive for McDonald's. "The equity gained from the promotion will outweigh the short-lived surge of negative press on wasted food and long lines," Llewelyn said. "Customers see the collaboration as a short-lived, isolated event, and not a systemic failing of the brand."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dame Vera Lynn's audition records to be released
Dame Vera Lynn's audition records are to be released for the first time, 90 years after they were first recorded. The late singer's first records were discovered when her daughter, Virginia Lewis-Jones, donated her mother's record collection to the British Library's Sound Archive. The donations were made when she moved out of her home in East Sussex, where Dame Vera had lived with her husband Harry Lewis for 40 years. Along with the three silver aluminium audition records, which are labelled by hand, a copy of Dame Vera's first record, It's Home, recorded in 1935 with bandleader Howard Baker, was also found. Recorded after trumpeter Baker invited Dame Vera to join his band in 1933, the first record is one of just 100 copies pressed. Virginia said: "It's so wonderful to hear Ma's voice from those early days, right at the start of her career. "I always had the feeling these would be worth exploring so I am absolutely thrilled that the audition tapes we've never heard can now be brought to life, and add significantly to what we already know about Ma." The audition discs will be released by Decca, with What A Difference A Day Makes released as a single on Friday to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Further previously unheard and rare tracks from them will feature on a new album called Hidden Treasures, which will be released on 7 November. Dame Vera made her name during the Second World War, when her rousing songs such as We'll Meet Again, (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover and There'll Always Be An England, earned her the affectionate name Forces' Sweetheart. Her final studio album, Unforgettable, was released in 2010. She died in June 2020, aged 103, after she became the oldest artist to have a top 40 album in the UK, in May that year, with her greatest hits album 100. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Dame Vera Lynn's birthday marked in home village Dame Vera Lynn statue campaign backed by PM
