Pokémon has one of the most loyal fandoms in pop culture but wanted to leverage its 25th anniversary to extend the fan base to the masses.

The briefing asked us to explore how Pokémon could further solidify itself as a mainstay in pop culture.

The objectives were to drive increased brand sentiment & relevancy among broad consumer target and raise global awareness of the 25th anniversary and the brand’s continued prominence.

The love of music is universal, cutting across and uniting people across geographies, generations and cultures around the world.

And among all music artists, we were able to identify another 25-year-old force of pop culture: Post Malone, the most streamed artist globally and a true Pokémon fan.

So we created an unexpected collaboration between a 25-year-old brand (Pokémon) and a 25-year-old artist (Post Malone) to drop a Pokémon version of a 25-year-old hit (Only Wanna Be With You).

In 2021, Pokémon wanted to leverage its 25th anniversary to extend the fandom with the masses.

So our strategy was to align the brand with one of the most unifying forces of pop-culture — music — and collaborate with an artist that had global appeal and an authentic connection to the brand.

But while most brands would opt to simply sponsor an A-List artist, we developed an authentic music program including:

1) Single release on the radio and all streaming platforms

2) Virtual concert streamed on YouTube and Twitch

3) PR exclusives with the main music portals (Billboard & Rolling Stone)

4)Exclusive merch

5)Contextual media planning including music venues (Live Nation music theaters) and music shows (American Idol)

The collaboration was announced through a teaser trailer dropped on Post Malone’s social media. In the video, Malone talks about a 25-year-old journey that sounds like his own career, but it’s revealed at the end to be Pokémon’s.

The announcement of this unexpected partnership, together with Easter Eggs hidden throughout the video lit up the internet, with the news of a Post Malone virtual concert on Pokémon Day being reported in all major music portals.

Two days before the concert, Post Malone dropped a cover of the 25-year-old hit “Only Wanna be With You” by Hootie and the Blowfish, mixed with the soundtrack of the Pokémon videogames. The track quickly climbed the charts, reaching #1 on Spotify.

Then, on Pokémon Day, millions of fans from around the globe tuned in for a stunning virtual concert featuring a motion captured version of Post Malone and 30 of the most popular Pokémon.

P25 Music turned music fans into Pokémon fans, with the song being broadcasted on radio and television – for free – driving talkability around the Pokémon 25th Anniversary:

6.2B impressions

78MM streams

13MM concert views

Song debuted #1 on Spotify