Saturday, June 4, 2011

Pokemon


Originally created as a video game, Pokemon now exists all over the world as a brand, and a media franchise. We now see the Pokemon logo anywhere from television shows and toys, to clothing and graphic novels. This brand has an extremely large fan base, consisting of the young and the old. Pokemon is derived from "pocket monsters", the idea of a creature being kept in a "poke ball", that can be summoned by their owner at will. The way these creatures and characters are drawn, as well as their stories are adorable and lighthearted, meaning to appeal to youngsters. The graphics are manga or anime style, and Pokemon was actually created by Satoshi Tajiri out of his love for "collecting" insects as a child. The form of art (manga/anime) showcase an aspect of Japanese culture, the illustrations resemble many other manga/anime characters in books. It has been fifteen years since Pokemon was created and those who have loved Pokemon as children still cannot seem to get over it. There are fans that have massive collections of Pokemon merchandise. The catch phrase of Pokemon being "gotta catch'em all" , plays a part in encouraging consumers to buy the product. This idea of having to collect/"catch'em" all is a factor in the brand's success. The Pokemon characters are unique, interesting, and some are even known to behave in very humourous ways. Since there are hundreds or thousands of Pokemon (including their evolved form), it is likely that this concept appeals to people who are taken by the joyful and friendly nature of Pokemon. Even now there are constantly updated and new television episodes, video games, and other forms of Pokemon merchandise. 

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