'Unhappy Meal': McDonald's Japan sorry for Pokemon debacle
McDonald's Japan has apologised after a campaign giving away limited-edition Pokemon cards with "Happy Meals" triggered long queues and social media outrage about food waste.
Cards with the "little monsters" are extremely popular among children but also adult superfans and collectors, with billions printed and some selling for millions of dollars.
There have even been cases of shops that sell the cards - which represent monsters and their attributes - being broken into and physical fights breaking out in low-crime Japan.
Launched Friday, the McDonald's stunt soon went awry with some people flocking to buy meals in bulk to resell the attached cards at a higher price on e-commerce sites.
Social media was awash with complaints about long queues at McDonald's outlets, with unverified pictures of plastic bags full of uneaten burgers and fries.
Some dubbed it the "Unhappy Meals" campaign.
"I couldn't buy a Happy Meal for my daughter because of these people", one user posted on X.
"I'm sure there are adult Pokemon fans who genuinely want the cards, but these resellers are truly embarrassing," another wrote.
"They go to great lengths to collect them and then throw away food ... for how much profit?"
Similar problems have hit other McDonald's campaigns, including past collaborations with manga series such as "Chiikawa".
Announcing the latest campaign, the firm stressed that each person could buy a maximum of five meals.
In a statement Monday, McDonald's conceded there were some instances of "resale-driven mass purchases by customers" that led to "our food being thrown away or discarded".
It added that it was looking to "introduce a stricter cap" on future Happy Meals purchases.
"Any attempts to buy more than permitted, repeatedly stand in the line, and behave intimidatingly toward our staff" will be met with a rejection, the firm said.
The US fast food giant also vowed to ask e-commerce sites to take more effective measures against unscrupulous resale.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
'Unhappy Meal': McDonald's Japan sorry for Pokemon debacle
McDonald's Japan's latest Pokémon card giveaway has drawn criticism after some customers bought Happy Meals in bulk to resell the cards, leaving bags of uneaten food. The company says it will tighten limits and work with e-commerce sites to curb profiteering. McDonald's Japan has apologised after a campaign giving away limited-edition Pokemon cards with "Happy Meals" triggered long queues and social media outrage about food waste. Cards with the "little monsters" are extremely popular among children but also adult superfans and collectors, with billions printed and some selling for millions of dollars. There have even been cases of shops that sell the cards - which represent monsters and their attributes - being broken into and physical fights breaking out in low-crime Japan. Launched Friday, the McDonald's stunt soon went awry with some people flocking to buy meals in bulk to resell the attached cards at a higher price on e-commerce sites. Social media was awash with complaints about long queues at McDonald's outlets, with unverified pictures of plastic bags full of uneaten burgers and fries. Some dubbed it the "Unhappy Meals" campaign. "I couldn't buy a Happy Meal for my daughter because of these people", one user posted on X. "I'm sure there are adult Pokemon fans who genuinely want the cards, but these resellers are truly embarrassing," another wrote. "They go to great lengths to collect them and then throw away food ... for how much profit?" Similar problems have hit other McDonald's campaigns, including past collaborations with manga series such as "Chiikawa". Announcing the latest campaign, the firm stressed that each person could buy a maximum of five meals. In a statement Monday, McDonald's conceded there were some instances of "resale-driven mass purchases by customers" that led to "our food being thrown away or discarded". It added that it was looking to "introduce a stricter cap" on future Happy Meals purchases. "Any attempts to buy more than permitted, repeatedly stand in the line, and behave intimidatingly toward our staff" will be met with a rejection, the firm said. The US fast food giant also vowed to ask e-commerce sites to take more effective measures against unscrupulous resale.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
'Unhappy Meal': McDonald's Japan sorry for Pokemon debacle
McDonald's Japan has apologised after a campaign giving away limited-edition Pokemon cards with "Happy Meals" triggered long queues and social media outrage about food waste. Cards with the "little monsters" are extremely popular among children but also adult superfans and collectors, with billions printed and some selling for millions of dollars. There have even been cases of shops that sell the cards - which represent monsters and their attributes - being broken into and physical fights breaking out in low-crime Japan. Launched Friday, the McDonald's stunt soon went awry with some people flocking to buy meals in bulk to resell the attached cards at a higher price on e-commerce sites. Social media was awash with complaints about long queues at McDonald's outlets, with unverified pictures of plastic bags full of uneaten burgers and fries. Some dubbed it the "Unhappy Meals" campaign. "I couldn't buy a Happy Meal for my daughter because of these people", one user posted on X. "I'm sure there are adult Pokemon fans who genuinely want the cards, but these resellers are truly embarrassing," another wrote. "They go to great lengths to collect them and then throw away food ... for how much profit?" Similar problems have hit other McDonald's campaigns, including past collaborations with manga series such as "Chiikawa". Announcing the latest campaign, the firm stressed that each person could buy a maximum of five meals. In a statement Monday, McDonald's conceded there were some instances of "resale-driven mass purchases by customers" that led to "our food being thrown away or discarded". It added that it was looking to "introduce a stricter cap" on future Happy Meals purchases. "Any attempts to buy more than permitted, repeatedly stand in the line, and behave intimidatingly toward our staff" will be met with a rejection, the firm said. The US fast food giant also vowed to ask e-commerce sites to take more effective measures against unscrupulous resale.
The Citizen
08-08-2025
- The Citizen
Pretoria's Elbert 'Pikachu' Steyn gears up to make MMA history at first PFL Africa event in Gauteng
Pretoria's Elbert 'Pikachu' Steyn gears up to make MMA history at first PFL Africa event in Gauteng He is a former amateur wrestling champion and, by his own admission, he is easily underestimated by opponents because of his physique. But Elbert Steyn, one of Pretoria's rising MMA stars, usually has the last laugh. 'Once they've dealt with my power, they quickly realize with surprise what they're dealing with,' Steyn said earlier this week on the eve of his Professional Fighters League (PFL) featherweight bout against an opponent from Morocco. As the world's fastest growing MMA tournament lands in Gauteng, Steyn, a very talented fighter and one of the true characters in MMA ranks, is ready to make history in front of a sold-out home crowd on Saturday. He is known as 'Pikachu' in the ring because of his physical appearance. When asked about his nickname, Steyn replied that at one point in his career he took a long break from martial arts during which he was not very active. Then he returned to the sport with a slight belly. The guys in the gym started jokingly calling him 'Pikachu' after the Pokémon character. 'But they soon realized that my appearance wasn't the last thing they remembered about me after sparring with me. I still beat them up,' he said with a smile. On Saturday 9 August, PFL Africa will host its second ever event in Gauteng, following a sold-out debut in Cape Town in July. This event will see Steyn step into the PFL SmartCage for a first-round featherweight bout against Morocco's Abderrahman Errachidy in the Big Top Arena at Carnival City, Brakpan. The 25-year-old Steyn is the only South African fighter on the card, which features 20 of the best featherweights and welterweights on the continent. Steyn will be looking to extend his unbeaten professional record (3-0) against Errachidy and secure his place in the PFL Africa semi-finals in the process. Speaking at the official PFL Africa: Johannesburg Media Event hosted at Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, Steyn highlighted the importance the crowd will play in his fight. 'PFL Africa is definitely a history making event and everyone there on Saturday is going to be part of history. I am super excited to be there and I know the crowd is going to absolutely bring it. I have also got a lot of supporters, and I am going to carry them on my back. That pressure helps shape and motivate me, so I love to have that support and deal with the pressure it brings,' he commented. Nigeria's Patrick Ocheme, who will take on Mohamed Camara from Guinea in the main event, emphasised the importance of PFL Africa in providing a platform to local fighters. 'There are a lot of guys who are constantly training, just waiting for the opportunity to show the world what they can actually do. PFL Africa provides that opportunity to showcase our talents on a global stage,' Steyn remarked. Steyn described taking part in an event of the magnitude of the PFL in South Africa as a dream come true. 'I never thought I would do PFL in South Africa. I always knew I'd make it to the big stage eventually, but I didn't think that would be locally, so that's a shocker for me,' he said. In total, 32 fighters representing 15 African nations will compete across the four PFL Africa divisions in 2025, as the league embarks on a continent wide journey to crown the first-ever PFL Africa Champions. For more details, visit the Professional Fighters League (PFL) website at or follow them on social media. Fight fans can catch the action live on Saturday night. Tickets can be purchased from TicketPro. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
