Pokémon fans never thought that the day would come when their Pokémon catching habits would be practiced on cookies. And not just any cookies — we’re talking about Oreos.
In September 2021, the cookie brand launched the product of its collaboration with Pokémon, which was the signature cream sandwich cookies printed with Pokémon designs on the chocolate wafers. For many fans, the appearance of Gen 1 Pokémon characters on the cookies made eating Oreos a fun experience. But for others, it became an adventurous hunt.
In line with the “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” nature of the popular series, fans started collecting all of the 16 characters on cookies. Most of them “caught” the standard Pokémons, but one mythical Pokémon proved to be the most elusive of them all — Mew.
In the Pokémon universe, catching a Mew is like seeing a unicorn; it rarely happens. Since art imitates life, the Mew Oreo cookie proves to be just as elusive. As a result, fans are willing to spend thousands of dollars to catch the psychic Pokémon, even in cookie form.
How Much is the Mew Oreo Cookie?
Several eBay listings revealed that Pokémon Mew’s Oreo is the rarest cookie in the set. As a result, they sell for hundreds of dollars. If paying more than $100 for an Oreo sounds ridiculous, know that there’s a Mew Oreo also selling for more than $28,000 on eBay.
$28,000 is thousands of dollars higher than the price of a family-sized pack of Pokémon Oreos ($3.59). However, sellers reason that the price is valid for the rarity of the Oreo cookie. The prices are also pegged to the cookie’s condition, as well as the packaging it comes in. But many buyers are questioning the validity of these prices since a) it’s just a cookie and
The most expensive Mew Oreo on eBay was listed for $100,000 but it was packaged in a plastic bag. The second most expensive Mew Oreo cookie, which was listed for $69,000, was advertised as a “perfect” and “brand-new” Oreo.
Despite it being just a cookie, the Mew Oreo situation was similar to Pokémon’s trademark trades, which are often associated with its collectible cards and paraphernalia.
A Continuation of the Pokémon Collection Craze
The hunt for Mew in Oreo cookie packets isn’t the first time Pokémon fans invested time and money in their search. Fans have been obsessed with catching all the Pokémons since the franchise’s birth 25 years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic fueled the appetites of collectors as they had more time and money for their collections.
In fact, the Pokémon Trading Card Game cards’ value increased over the previous years. A report from eBay states that the sales of these cards jumped up 500 percent. The report, titled “State of Trading Cards, chronicled the spending habits of eBay’s consumers on collectible cards and sports cards over the past years. eBay reported that Pokémon’s trading cards saw a 547 percent increase from 2019 to 2020.
Mewtwo, an evolution of Mew, was part of the four most popular cards sold during that time, along with Pikachu, Charizard and Blastoise. Charizard was the second top-selling card of the year; this Pokémon card sold for more than $300,000.
Clearly, the Pokémon craze isn’t going away any time soon and jumping aboard the trend guarantees thousands of dollars in return — even if you’re just selling cookies with the characters’ faces on them.
Why Is The Mew Cookie so Expensive?
Like any rare Pokémon collectible, the Oreo cookie with Mew on it has a hefty price tag. As a result, many people are wondering, if not astounded, at the price. Why is a simple cookie pricier than the pack of cookies itself?
Most fans associate Pokémon with the memories of playing cards, video games and trading. Oreo knew that fans would trade their cookies like they did their cards. In fact, the company announced their collaboration with Pokémon via a short video that highlighted the idea of Pokémon trainers (aka the customers) “catching” all the 16 characters (which included Mew, Pikachu, Snivy, Sandshrew, Squirtle, Sableye, Pancham, Piplip, Grookey, Jigglypuff, Dratinim Lapras, Bulbasaur, Charmander and Syndaquil). The video’s theme song is Pokémon’s theme song, which repeats the phrase “Gotta catch ‘em all,” an emphasis to customers that they could catch all of their Pokémon Oreos.
What Can Businesses Learn from the Pokémon and Oreo Collaboration?
While some fans are willing to spend on thousands of dollars for a rare cookie, others would rather spend on the regular packages of Pokémon Oreos. As a result, the cookie company experienced an increase in sales — thanks to the fans.
So, if you’re a small business owner, what can you learn from the Mew witch hunt and Pokémon craze?
Know your target market. Study them intently; analyze their spending habits. Pokémon knew that the fans are driven to collect, especially the rare ones. On the other hand, Oreo knows that their customers enjoyed limited editions and new flavors. Together, the brands created a campaign that will foster both wants.
What do your customers want? What makes them tick? What makes them want to spend on your product? Which type of packaging works? By answering these questions, it’s easier to create a marketing strategy that will entice them to choose your products over the competition.
Market research is important; it played a crucial role in the Oreo x Pokémon product launch. Both companies used the process to determine current market/consumer trends that will position their services or products in the best light possible. Their research led them to the growing popularity of the Pokémon card collection, which resulted in the Pokémon Oreo cookies.
Oreo’s marketing research team leveraged its resources to hijack a unique demand in the market. It pays to act fast, after all.
To enjoy this type of success, never stop your research on the latest trends. And once you’ve nailed down a particular trend that hasn’t been done by many, use it. Use it immediately; otherwise, someone else might snatch the idea.
The Mew cookie craze from Oreo proved that everyone’s still obsessed with rare Pokémons. It also proved that if you jumped on a popular trend ASAP, you could be the star of the next crazy eBay story, which could also work to your marketing advantage.
