Leeds-based agency HUB has delivered the launch campaign for a new Pikachu product from toy company WOW! Stuff, marking the 30th anniversary of Pokémon.
The fast-growing integrated agency worked from concept through to delivery on the campaign for the Pikachu Puppetronic, part of WOW! Stuff’s RealFX collection, producing a suite of product videos and photography ahead of Pokémon Day on 27 February.
The annual global celebration commemorates the release of the first Pokémon games, with this year marking three decades of the brand.
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The Pikachu Puppetronic is the first Pokémon to feature in the RealFX Puppetronics range, which is designed to offer lifelike realism and detailed interactivity. The product includes more than 120 sound and action combinations, controlled by hand to replicate the character’s expressions and movements.
HUB said the brief called for content that reflected the product’s quality and interactivity, rather than a standard toy launch approach.
To achieve this, the agency staged an on-location shoot at LS-TEN, a Leeds skatepark and independent school supporting young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. The setting was chosen to align with Pokémon’s themes of community, belonging and self-discovery.
The campaign was delivered to a tight turnaround to coincide with pre-orders opening on Pokémon Day. The final output includes multiple film edits across 30, 20, 10 and six seconds, alongside product stills. The content will run across the UK and more than 20 international markets, spanning retailer websites, catalogues, paid and organic social, print and TV.
Richard North, co-founder and CEO of WOW! Stuff, said: “Having Pikachu as part of our Puppetronics collection has been an exciting milestone for us, especially during Pokémon’s 30th year. We knew from working with HUB previously that they could showcase the technology, the features, and the emotion of the product, and the final creative gets across the charm of Pikachu perfectly.”
Rob Shaw, CEO at HUB, said: “We love working with WOW! Stuff. They bring us briefs that let us flex our full production capabilities, and this one was right up our street. Pikachu is one of the most beloved and recognisable characters around, so we wanted to capture that personality while showcasing what makes the Puppetronic by RealFX product so special. We’re really proud of what the team produced.”
Pre-orders for the Pikachu Puppetronic on Pokémon Center UK have now sold out, with the product currently available via Smyths Toys.
