7-Eleven stores are promoting the upcoming live-action Pokémon movie “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” with augmented reality (AR) as well as movie-themed products and photo filters in the 7-Eleven app.
The c-store brand created a “Ryme City Neighborhood Watch” AR experience in its app, named for the movie’s fictional setting, that includes a new “Find the Missing Pokémon” activity each week. Drawing from the movie storyline, each activity will fully immerse users in a unique story to find the missing Pokémon.
The quest to successfully find each Pokémon unlocks exclusive offers for free products. The free offers, in the order they can be earned, include a free pizza slice, four free mini tacos, free any-size cup of Hi-Hat Mocha or other hot beverage, and five free chicken wings.
A variety of 7Rewards bonus point offers run throughout the “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” promotion, and selfie snaps also earn 7Rewards points weekly when customers share via their social channels using the hashtag #7ElevenNHW.
Since 7-Eleven launched AR last year, the company said customers have been seeking out its stores to play games or meet a surprise celebrity, character or athlete.
“‘POKÉMON Detective Pikachu’ is a great entertainment tie-in for 7-Eleven because it appeals to so many of our customers — kids, Gen Z, millennials,” said Tarang Sethia, 7‑Eleven vice president of digital customer experience. “Millennials, who played the original videogame 20 years ago, are parents now and can enjoy the Pokémon phenomenon all over again with their kids. The entire Pokémon franchise launched as a videogame, making it the perfect vehicle to create experiences that maximize the new and growing AR capabilities in the 7-Eleven app.”
Along with the AR games, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” products will be available at participating 7-Eleven stores and can be delivered in select areas through 7NOW, the retailer’s delivery platform. Every Thursday during the promotion, 7-Eleven will unveil a free signature item that fans can order and have delivered directly to a chosen location.
For a limited time, 7-Eleven will also offer dollar drink deals to introduce its new mocha beverages and mystery-flavored Slurpee drink. A small cup of the new hot mocha, medium Cold Brew or medium Slurpee drink each cost only $1 at participating stores.
The Mystery Slurpee Sweepstakes offers customers a chance to win a year of free Slurpee drinks. The Instagram-based contest invites users to follow Slurpee on Instagram; post a photo, video or gif of themselves; guess the three flavors in the Mystery Slurpee drink; and include the required hashtags, #MysterySlurpee and #Sweepstakes in the caption.
Named for a café featured in the Pokémon movie, the new Hi-Hat Mocha hot beverage blends a rich balance of chocolate and coffee flavors with steamed milk and is topped with frothy foam. In select stores, customers can add a pump of chocolate sauce or yellow and white sprinkles.
Colorful, limited-edition Slurpee bottles and straws feature Detective Pikachu and other movie characters — Psyduck, Ludicolo and Snubbull. Refillable, insulated coffee mugs also feature Detective Pikachu, Psyduck and Ludicolo.
Participating 7-Eleven stores will have a variety of Detective Pikachu merchandise for all ages, including an exclusive set of trading cards, trading card file, plush Pokémon characters, Pokémon Clip and Carry Pokéball belt and Pokéballs.
7-Eleven also created three 7-Select private brand chocolate bars to tie in to the movie. The “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” bar flavors are Bolt’n Banana Milk Chocolate, Roaring Raspberry Confection and Psyched-up Orange Milk Chocolate. The bars are available at participating stores while supplies last.
Other “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” products include a Create-a-Cookie Kit, vanilla cupcakes with yellow icing and sprinkles, as well as Pillsbury ready-to-bake cookies.
Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 68,000 stores in 17 countries, including 11,800 in North America.