McDonald's Japan postpones toy promo after Pokémon complaints
The Pokerap-Pokémon complaints
McDonald's Japan has decided to postpone its promotional campaign that offered toys with its Happy Meals, due to complaints from customers that the toys resembled Pokémon characters.
The fast-food chain acknowledged the resemblance between the toys and specific Pokémon characters from the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue video games. The company emphasized that the toys were not intended to infringe on any copyright or trademark. Nonetheless, the overwhelming resemblance led to a social media storm and a significant public backlash.
Customer Response
McDonald's Japan issued an official statement regarding the issue, saying, "Due to the fact that there are many consumers who feel uncomfortable with the contents of the "Pokerap-Pokémon" campaign, we have decided to cancel the campaign as of today."
The company further added, "We are aware that many people enjoy the Pokémon characters. We will take this opportunity to review our process and ensure that this type of situation never happens again."
Moving forward
McDonald's Japan intends to strengthen its relationship with The Pokémon Company and resolve any potential intellectual property issues. The company has assured its customers that it will be more diligent in evaluating the designs for future promotional campaigns to avoid any confusion or concerns.
Company Statement
"The safety and satisfaction of our customers are always our top priority. We sincerely apologize for any concerns or troubles caused by the "Pokerap-Pokémon" campaign. Going forward, we will carefully consider the selection of designs for future campaigns to avoid any misunderstanding or misinterpretation."And here is your meta description: A concise, compelling 130-140 character summary that includes primary keywords and encourages clicks And your keywords: primary keyword, McDonald's, Japan, Pokémon, complaints, promotion, postponement, intellectual property, video games, toy, marketing, PR
