In August, special Happy Meals for Pokémon were available at select McDonald’s locations. Based on the experiences from the promotion, drastic measures have now been announced for the second phase in September.
What is this promotion about? In Japan, Pokémon fans were able to purchase special Happy Meals that promised a promo card pack. The package always included a guaranteed Pikachu card and one of 5 additional cards.
The offer was a huge hit. Long lines formed outside the restaurants during the promotion. Among them were many so-called scalpers who wanted to secure as many card packs as possible to sell them for high prices on platforms like Ebay.
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The supplies in McDonald’s locations were sold out so quickly that many regular customers who wanted to secure two cards for their kids were left empty-handed. Accordingly, the promotion was reportedly frustrating for many Pokémon fans.
But that was not the only unpleasant aspect of the otherwise attractive promotion. Many people bought the Happy Meals solely because of the Pokémon cards and apparently had no use for the other contents of the menus. Images of large piles of waste from burgers, fries, and other items circulated, including on X.com.
New rules against food waste and scalpers
What measures has McDonald’s announced? In an official statement from the company, it says:
McDonald’s does not tolerate uneaten food or waste. We strictly prohibit the purchase or resale of Happy Sets for the purpose of resale or any purchases for commercial purposes.
via Dexerto
For future promotions of this kind, there are new rules:
- The sale of Happy Meals is limited to 3 meals per group.
- No digital orders will be possible on the launch day of the promotions. The Happy Meals can only be purchased on-site in the locations or at the drive-thru during the first 24 hours.
McDonald’s officials have already announced that they may expand these policies as needed. If the new rules prove effective, they could also be implemented outside of Japan.
That such promotions could also come to Germany was demonstrated in July by the big competitor to the big M: Burger King. There, you could secure a “Burger King” menu for Naruto in July. All information about this can be found in this announcement: Burger King brings a menu for Naruto in July – Previously there was already cool merch here
