Originally published for Campaign Magazine, 24th May 2024

I am not entirely surprised to see that Pokémon fans took a ‘catch ‘em all’ approach to the merchandise from the new Van Gogh Museum x Pokémon collaboration. 

Four years ago, I was opening the doors of the Pokémon London pop-up store, which contained limited edition, highly coveted products. Fans came in their thousands, and we had snaking queues over a mile long. I had never seen such enthusiasm, dedication and excitement for a brand before and it seems that the brand continues to drive huge love and loyalty amongst their fans.

So what makes consumers travel thousands of miles and wait hours in line to get their hands on Pokémon products?

Universal Appeal

It’s rare you speak to someone that has never heard of Pokémon – most of us have some connection or memory of the brand, be that direct experience or through family members. I grew up in the era when collecting cards and trading them in the playground was a classic school lunchtime activity. It’s a simple gameplay concept grounded in positive themes of friendship and adventure that makes it fun and accessible for all audiences.

Community

Pokémon has a strong community aspect where fans are encouraged to come together and play. They host casual and competitive tournaments where players can new strategies, trade cards and make new friends who all have a shared passion. The community aspect extends beyond the game play – I was astounded by the nature of the fans at the London pop-up. Some of them had been queuing for up to eight hours but had used that time to make friends with those waiting in line, set up battles and trade stories. They were friendly, energetic, and excited to be there which created a lovely positive energy.

Collectability

The idea of catching them all extends beyond the game and includes cards and merchandise. People may collect for personal reasons to rebuild a set from their childhood, for competitive reasons so they are better equipped to compete in tournaments or to collect rare finds. Each collector has their own motivation, and it adds an additional level of engagement for fans…and drives demands for limited edition products.

Evolution

Pokémon consistently introduces new characters, generations, storylines, merchandise and experiences ensuring fans stay highly engaged. However, they never lose sight of their mission to delight and connect fans through meaningful experiences, and carefully manage the brand to ensure high quality and consistency which fans recognise and respect.

Pokémon’s ability to appeal to a universal audience, encourage connection and innovate has led to millions of passionate, dedicated fans all over the world. From the London pop-up, to the Pokémon bus tour there’s lots of exciting things to come…so it’s probably time to sharpen up those card game skills!