Pokémon cards in Happy Meals: McDonald's campaign in Japan turns into a fiasco

McDonald's Japan has apologized after a marketing campaign offering limited-edition Pokémon cards with Happy Meal purchases failed, sparking long lines and social media outrage over food waste.

In a statement Monday, McDonald's acknowledged that there had been some instances of "massive purchases by customers, motivated by resale" that led to "the waste of our food." In Japan, the famous "pocket monsters" cards are very popular among both children and some adults.

Launched on Friday, August 8, the fast food chain's campaign quickly went off the rails, with customers rushing to buy large quantities of meals only to resell the cards at a higher price on online shopping sites.

Social media has been flooded with negative comments about long lines at McDonald's restaurants, with unverified photos showing plastic bags filled with uneaten burgers and fries.

Some are maliciously referring to an "Unhappy Meal" campaign as opposed to the popular "Happy Meal." The campaign has generated a lot of comments. "I couldn't get my daughter a Happy Meal because of these people," posted one user on X. "I'm sure there are adult Pokémon fans who actually want the cards, but these resellers are really embarrassing," complained another. "They go in [to restaurants] to collect them and then throw the food away... for what profit?" lamented another.

Similar issues have plagued other McDonald's campaigns in the past, including collaborations with manga series like Chiikawa . When announcing this latest marketing campaign, the company insisted that each person could purchase a maximum of five meals. The fast-food group clarified that it is now looking to "introduce a stricter limit" on future such operations.

"Any attempt to purchase more than the authorized limit, to queue multiple times, or to behave in an intimidating manner toward our staff" will result in a sale refusal, the company said. The American giant also promised to ask online trading sites to take more effective measures against the abusive resale of these Pokémon cards.