The Pokémon Company is celebrating 25 years with a slew of new deals.

License Global

January 14, 2021

4 Min Read
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The Pokémon Company International officially launched celebrations for Pokémon’s landmark 25th anniversary. In 2021, Pokémon will align with another universal unifying force – music. Headlined by pop icon Katy Perry, the program, created in partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG), a world leader in music-based entertainment, accompanies fan-focused activations celebrating 25 years of Pokémon across the franchise’s portfolio of video games, mobile apps, animation, merchandise and more.

“In Katy Perry, we see a kindred spirit to Pokémon, whose world is bright, fun and uplifting,” says Colin Palmer, vice president, marketing, The Pokémon Company International. “Katy is a wonderful ambassador to help us celebrate 25 years of Pokémon, and we can’t wait for music fans everywhere to experience the exciting collaborations we have planned.”

“Pokémon has been a constant in my life from playing the original video games on my Game Boy, to trading Pokémon TCG cards at lunch, to the adventures of catching Pokémon on the street with Pokémon GO,” says Perry. “I’ve even visited the Pokémon Café in Japan while on tour! It is an honor to be chosen to help celebrate a franchise that has given me so much joy in the last 25 years, and to be able to watch it evolve in the ways it’s provided that kind of electric joy for the kids in my life and around the world.”

“We are honored to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pokémon and the significant cultural impact this beloved franchise continues to have around the world,” says LJ Gutierrez, general manager, UMGB. “Working together, we have developed dynamic year-round programming involving artists from across UMG’s labels — because what better way to create a global celebration than through the power of music.”

Details about Perry’s participation, additional artist surprises and more about the P25 Music program will be announced throughout the year.

Since the first video games launched in 1996, the franchise has explored a new region in the Pokémon world with the introduction of each core series game. In 2021, The Pokémon Company International will invite fans to relive their journeys through each of these regions in a yearlong program, beginning with the most recently discovered Galar region from “Pokémon Sword” and “Pokémon Shield” and ending with the classic Kanto region from the original “Pokémon Red” and “Pokémon Blue” games. Beginning today, fans can visit a new website that will serve as the hub for this and all fan celebration activities as they are announced throughout the year, located here: https://pokemon.com/25.

The Pokémon Company International is teaming up with other iconic brands to help fans celebrate the journey throughout the year with new promotions and merchandise. Collaborations in the brand’s 25th anniversary year include programs from Build-A-Bear Workshop, General Mills, Levi’s, McDonald’s and more. Fans can also look forward to even more special merchandise tied to the anniversary celebrations from licensees including Jazwares, Scholastic, Mattel, Funko, PowerA and The Wand Company. Additional partners and the ways they will celebrate the anniversary will be announced throughout the year.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is a cornerstone of the brand, and fans can look forward to special 25th anniversary-themed collections of the Pokémon TCG later in 2021. In the meantime, fans will soon be able to collect oversize cards featuring Pikachu and first partner Pokémon from the various regions featured in the franchise-spanning retrospective. Fans can also expect 25th anniversary-themed products from Pokémon Center, the premier destination for official Pokémon merchandise in the U.S. and Canada. To kick off the celebrations on Pokémon Center, fans will be able to preorder the limited-edition 25th anniversary-themed skateboard by industry craftsman Bear Walker starting Jan. 19.

The details revealed today are a glimpse into what the world can expect from Pokémon in 2021. With 25th anniversary-related activations planned for Pokémon animation, Pokémon video games, mobile games including “Pokémon GO” and “Pokémon Masters EX” and more big announcements from the franchise, fans have a year full of new journeys ahead.

To help fans kick off this celebration, a live-action video, uniquely highlighting moments in the brand’s 25-year history and a journey through the Pokémon world’s many regions, can be viewed on the official Pokémon YouTube channel.

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About the Author(s)

License Global

License Global is the leading news source for the brand licensing industry, delivering award-winning editorial content including news, trends, analysis, and special reports about the global consumer product and retail marketplace.

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