Summary
There is no better way to enjoy the weekend than with aPokémontoy and a KFC meal, or at least that’s what the two iconic franchises wanted the Chinese public to believe when they decided to team up to offer a new collection ofPokémonfigures as part of their special menu for the upcoming Children’s Day holiday.
For over a century, countries around the world have set aside a day - Children’s Day - to recognize and honor children. On the one hand, Children’s Days is used to promote kids themselves - raise awareness about the issues important to children - as well as celebrate the joys of youth. Conversely, Children’s Day is also a tribute to the “inner child” within every adult, encouraging them to indulge in carefree playfulness - for a limited time - reminiscent of the carefree days of childhood.
In China, Children’s Day is celebrated on June 1, and in honor of the holiday,KFC China andPokémonhave teamed up to offer patrons a new special Children’s Day set meal. According toKFC China’s official Douyin(TikTok) account, not only will the meal menu feature a number of scrumptious dishes, but also a set of special limited edition toys.
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The campaign, which began on May 18 and runs through June 1, offers two meal options. There’s a smaller, 69.90 CNY (9.64 USD) meal option, and a larger 129.00 CNY (17.79 USD) meal. In both cases, patrons are gifted their choice of fivePokémoncharacters, including Pikachu, Psyduck (Koduck), Mimikyu, Togepi, and Gengar.
Moreover, each character has an interactive feature. For instance,Pikachu’s figure plays songson a CD player, whileGengar has a mini-gaming consolethat plays games. However, if users buy the larger meal option, in addition to their choice of aPokémoncharacter, they also receive aPokémonhandheld game. According toComicbook.com, the figures are characters are unique in thatthey are only available in China during this promotion.
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KFC is not the only fast food franchise to partner up with child-friendly entertainment brands to ring in Childrens’s Day in China. Pizza Hut, for instance, has teamed up withHello Kittymaker Sanrio to offer a similar meal and, gift option to KFC. McDonald’s, another fast food restaurant popular with Chinese kids, is offering the McWalkie-Talkie which allows people to communicate with other wearers from a distance.
Still, according toMorning News, a local newspaper, it seems thatmost kids around the country want thePokémontoy if given a chance. Indeed, according to the report, fake versions of the character have already begun cropping up here and there. This is also not the first time that KFC andPokémonhave collaborated. Last November, the two companies worked together to offer restaurant patrons fourPokémoncharacters as a part of their special holiday offerings.
Pikachu and Colonel Sanders seem to be a winning team in China, withPokémonand KFC their winning combination on Children’s Day.
