Remember when everyone was obsessed with Pokémon Go? That was now 10 years ago. As the interactive game celebrates its 10th anniversary, I spoke to branding experts at Interbrand and Coley Porter Bell about why the brand has been so successful, how it speaks to today's audiences, as well as its longevity.
For more on branding, see the best logos of all time and the best rebrands of the 2020s.
For Molly Frampton, strategy director at Interbrand, Pokémon Go's longevity demonstrates "the power of emotion". She explains: "When nostalgia, love (Pikachu, for me) and community meet, the possibilities are endless. A familiar brand or cultural reference can capture attention, but staying relevant for a decade requires continually giving people new, and more, reasons to engage."
And Pokémon Go's popularity has a lot to do with the way we have been interacting over the past 10 years. "In today’s world, there is an unfortunate truth: we are more connected, but lonelier than ever. Which is why Pokémon Go thrived, and keeps on thriving. It offers an organic platform for like-minded tribes of people to get together, in the real world, around a shared passion.
"Creating opportunities for people to explore, compete, connect and participate together, transforming players from consumers into members of a real community. In today's world, that is what is defining brand affinity and lasting value: offering opportunities for people to experience an authentic sense of belonging."
What makes Pokémon Go so successful? "The most successful brands don't just attract audiences, they organically create fandom. They become part of people's routines, acting as real-time mirrors of their identities, values, beliefs. After all, it is emotion that sets strong brands apart from the rest. Once that emotional value has been established, there is limitless potential: for commanding premium prices, building affinity, creating a much stronger foundation for long-term relevance."
Ben Gale, senior designer at Coley Porter Bell, played Pokémon Go during the 2016 craze. "I jumped back in time over the weekend for the game's 10th anniversary and was surprised by how much had been added. It was a little overwhelming as a returning player, but I could immediately see why it's still thriving a decade later," he says.
"Pokémon Go sells a fantasy that '90s kids have been buying into their entire lives: exploring the world, catching Pokémon, completing the Pokédex, and making friends along the way. The series has always been built around discovery, collecting, and trading with other people. Go brings those ideas into the real world, creating communities and memorable shared experiences at a time when many people are craving more genuine social connection."
What makes Pokémon Go stand out from other games? "Pokémon Go is cut from the same cloth as more mainstream games but places greater emphasis on the human element. Some of its biggest challenges and rewards are deliberately designed around playing together.
"When your franchise has more than 1,000 Pokémon designed to be collected, it's no surprise that the brand has managed to maintain longevity and relevance for so long."
Molly thinks that Pokémon Go's longevity has a lot to do with nostalgia. "Ten years on, Pokémon Go remains relevant not because it relied on nostalgia, but because it has taken that nostalgia, and elevated it. Understanding what drives real value in today’s increasingly volatile world: being part of an authentic, like-minded community, that shares your passions.
"For brands thinking about longevity, that's the real takeaway: relevance isn't something you achieve once, nor is it a given. It's something you earn and hone continuously, through participation, shared experiences and a clear sense of purpose."
Creative Bloq is now easier to access than ever before with our on-the-go app, which brings you all the content you know and love from our website, but in a super-streamlined design.
