McDonald’s Japan apologized after the fiasco of a marketing campaign that offered Pokémon’s limited edition letters to McLanche Feliz. The action, launched on Friday (8), caused mass lines, illegal resale and criticism on social networks for the waste of food.
The letters of the “pocket monsters” are the subject of worship in the country, attracting both children and adult collectors. But the campaign came out of control: consumers bought large amounts of snacks just to get cards and resell them at high prices on e-commerce sites.
On social networks, netizens shared images of bags full of discarded burgers and potatoes without consumption, criticizing the lack of network planning. “I couldn’t buy a happy McLanche for my daughter because of these people,” wrote a user on X (former Twitter).
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Another comment highlighted the role of resellers: “I’m sure there are adult Pokémon fans who really want the cards, but these dealers are really shameful.”
The episode has become an image problem for the network in Japan, where McDonald’s has faced reputation crises in previous years. In addition to the negative repercussion, the controversy raises the debate on promotional campaigns that stimulate excessive consumption and waste of food.
