Pokémon Kicks off Its McDonald’s Happy Meal Promotion in North America This Summer

[dtrain]

Pokemon™ Black•White-themed Happy Meals arrive in participating McDonald’s® stores across North America beginning June 17, 2011, as one of the world’s most popular entertainment properties launches its Happy Meal promotion with the leading foodservice provider. Pokémon fans visiting North American McDonald’s locations June 17–July 7 can purchase a Happy Meal featuring one of eight McDonald’s exclusive Pokémon figures, including Pikachu and brand-new Pokémon Reshiram, Zekrom, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Zorua, and Zoroark, as well as one of twelve Pokémon Trading Card Game cards1, to celebrate what has already been a blockbuster year for the franchise. The Pokémon Company International continues its McDonald’s Black•White Happy Meal promotion in major markets around the world later in 2011 and 2012.

“The Pokémon franchise is having an incredible year, and partnering with McDonald’s is definitely one of our highlights,” said J.C. Smith, director of Consumer Marketing for The Pokémon Company International. “We’re excited that our fans can visit McDonald’s, purchase a Happy Meal, and enjoy something special from Pokémon.”

The Pokémon Black•White Happy Meal promotion will be supported by McDonald’s through a fully integrated marketing campaign that includes television advertising, in-store POP, and online activities at McWorld.com and HappyMeal.com.

The Pokémon franchise continues to be one of the most enduring entertainment brands in the world. The release of the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems have shattered sales records with more than 11.5 million copies sold since their release in Japan last September and in the United States and Europe this March (Nintendo, March 2011). The all-new Pokémon Trading Card Game: Black & White expansion launched in April, adding to the more than 15 billion Pokémon TCG cards produced worldwide. A new season of Pokémon animation on Cartoon Network, Pokémon: Black & White, and a new feature length film, Pokémon—Zoroark: Master of Illusions, have also been released this year.

To learn more about Pokémon, please visit www.pokemon.com.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)-- http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon...27s/Happy-Meal

[CMsvW]

Time to get fat!!!!!!

[waynegg]

Glad you can just buy the toy at most McDonalds!

[platinumwaiter]

Originally Posted by waynegg

Glad you can just buy the toy at most McDonalds!

so true! I wonder if the zoroark and reshirams and zekroms are good... if so, its time to go to McDonalds! >:D

[tyranitard8]

Originally Posted by waynegg

Glad you can just buy the toy at most McDonalds!

Wait, ARE YOU SERIOUS I DID NOT KNOW THAT?!

[David's Confused Pokedad]

Originally Posted by tyranitard8

Wait, ARE YOU SERIOUS I DID NOT KNOW THAT?!

They also have a free playground.

[tyranitard8]

Originally Posted by David's Confused Pokedad

They also have a free playground.

I remember playing there when I was little. I also remember the day I got to big to play there

[menoknow]

Originally Posted by tyranitard8

I remember playing there when I was little. I also remember the day I got to big to play there

I remember digging around in the ball pits (which I think very few indoor playgrounds have these days) for change. I'd usually find between $1 and $4 or so in change in those things lol,

[jeffrey123]

Why cant they have these promotions at chipotle or a place where you can eat and stay jacked instead of eat processed trash? :(

[honchvire]

Originally Posted by Alex2k

stay jacked

Anyone know what the 12 cards are they are handing out? Reprints? New cards? New art?

[Tyraniking]

Originally Posted by Alex2k

Why cant they have these promotions at chipotle or a place where you can eat and stay jacked instead of eat processed trash? :(

Wow...funny I was gonna say the same thing. I hardly eat food that's processed, so I'm gonna have to get creative.

At least it's not Wendy's D:

[Professor Elm]

Originally Posted by Alex2k

Why cant they have these promotions at chipotle or a place where you can eat and stay jacked instead of eat processed trash? :(

Pretty much everything you eat in the US is processed in some way or another.
McDonalds always gets a bad rap for being SO UNHEALTHY, but really it's not much worse than any other burger joint. Do yourselves a favor and if you are going to eat here get chicken instead of beef, substitute fries for something else, and just drink water or some other drink that's not loaded with sugar.

You can eat healthy at these places, it's all about the choices you make. Just limit the amount of saturated fat, sodium, and sugar in your diet, and do yourself a favor and eliminate all trans fats (that usually means no more burgers). Also monitor your carb intake if you don't live an active lifestyle.

[PikaPower56]

I am going to guess that the cards given out are just stamped/alternate foil of the Black/White set like the ones that were given out at Burger King previously...They didn't even have alternate artwork.

[JWittz]

Originally Posted by Professor Elm

Pretty much everything you eat in the US is processed in some way or another.
McDonalds always gets a bad rap for being SO UNHEALTHY, but really it's not much worse than any other burger joint. Do yourselves a favor and if you are going to eat here get chicken instead of beef, substitute fries for something else, and just drink water or some other drink that's not loaded with sugar.

You can eat healthy at these places, it's all about the choices you make. Just limit the amount of saturated fat, sodium, and sugar in your diet, and do yourself a favor and eliminate all trans fats (that usually means no more burgers). Also monitor your carb intake if you don't live an active lifestyle.

This. I've never heard more random complaining before! I didn't remember hearing all the fuss when we had Burger King for the past 2 years, so why complain now McDonalds is just about the same? I don't know if I play at the same tables everyone does, but when did Pokemon players become so "health conscious"? : P

The only food places that have ever offered Pokemon Toys are KFC, Burger Kind, and McDonalds, and those last two are probably the only places where it makes sense to have toy promotions anymore. They're the only companies that can afford to advertise the media giant that Pokemon is right now, and the only place where it really makes sense, seeing as they're the only venue with prevalent kid-exclusive meal. McDonalds isn't "sponsoring" McDonalds, they're just using one large company as a giant front to advertise on. Most of us "big kids" need to remember that we're not Pokemon's target audience, and probably won't be for the foreseeable future.

Personally, I'd like to see Pokemon sponsor a promotion about having an active lifestyle. I think that's where most of us gamers could use the most help. But then again, that'd be much less profitable for the company, so it probably won't happen.

[bullados]

Chipotle? Really? McDonald's Redux?

It'd be nice if something like Subway, Quizno's, or something similar had this. At least I wouldn't feel as guilty about eating crap...

[jeffrey123]

Originally Posted by bullados

Chipotle? Really? McDonald's Redux?

It'd be nice if something like Subway, Quizno's, or something similar had this. At least I wouldn't feel as guilty about eating crap...

Chipotle's actually really good for you, as long as you don't load it with sour cream and extra unnecessary stuff. Taste so good too, if I had a snorlax we'd live there.

[sentimentGX4]

Originally Posted by Alex2k

Chipotle's actually really good for you, as long as you don't load it with sour cream and extra unnecessary stuff.

No, Chipotle is not healthy for you regardless of what you put into it. One burrito has far too much sodium. 2600 mg compared to 1010 mg in a Big Mac (and the Big Mac is already ~50% of your Daily Value). Most of this sodium is in its meat. This is not even accounting for the extras that you mentioned which would push Chipotle burrito past a Big Mac in every way.

McDonald's burgers are seriously more healthy than even a basic Chipotle burrito. At least its negative nutrients would all be in "moderation". One really negative nutrient is faaaaar worse and would have a much more long term impact on your body.

[keniselvis]

Originally Posted by Alex2k

Chipotle's actually really good for you, as long as you don't load it with sour cream and extra unnecessary stuff. Taste so good too, if I had a snorlax we'd live there.

Over 1K calories per burrito!

but they are good!

and I admit it, I freaking LOVE mcdonald's hamburgers. And that strawberry lemonade...89 cents here in Kansas and only 270 calories. YUM!

[Cyrus]

Keep in mind that Alex2k is a wrestler - he isn't on some Jenny Craig diet. Therefore he can consume more calories than your average Joe, lol.

Interested to see what promos come in this thing! Hopefully one of the dozen or so should be good, viable cards, but I doubt it (as previously said).

[Caleb]

Originally Posted by Alex2k

Chipotle's actually really good for you, as long as you don't load it with sour cream and extra unnecessary stuff. Taste so good too, if I had a snorlax we'd live there.

Anyone else find it funny that McDonalds owned the majority of chipotle until 2006? I do.

Back on topic, I'm not expecting much, but since we have league at McDonalds it'll add some nice flavor. Maybe I'll buy a couple and give them out to the kids.

[chase4787]

It's not that bad. Cokes are $1 now and toys are $1 too. Might as well go there if your looking for a drink and near a mcdonalds, which is hard not to be.

[BlastBurn]

Hey, if you get cards you can't get elsewhere, who is complaining??

[Spike]

I want to see the cards personally. I could take or leave the figures.

[BlastBurn]

Yeah, and how much do they cost to buy?? :??

[machampion12]

The usually charge a buck a piece on them BlastBurn