Dream Team: Inside the Pokémon x Natural History Museum collaboration

Guys, it’s great to catch up. What do you look for when embarking on brand collaborations? And why did Pokémon and the Natural History Museum prove a neat fit?
Maxine Lister, Head of Licensing, Natural History Museum: With each one of our brand collaborations, we always ensure that the story we tell has a strong narrative for both brands and would be compelling to both consumers and fans of our bands alike. Pokémon and the Natural History Museum are both champions of the natural world, and the evolution and diversity in both our world and Pokémon’s. With this common ground, we knew we could create something very special and universal with this collaboration.

Mathieu Galante, Licensing Director, EMEA, The Pokémon Company International: When considering collaborations for Pokémon, we look for partners that can bring the brand to life in ways that feel authentic, inspiring and unexpected. The Natural History Museum shares a sense of wonder and fascination with the living world – values that sit at the heart of Pokémon – which made for a natural fit.

The Natural History Museum’s Cranbourne Boutique has been transformed into a Pokémon pop-up shop experience – and it’s extending its run! Can you talk us through some key aspects of the experience?
Claire Bevan, Head of Retail and Customer Contact, Natural History Museum: We are so happy with how the on-site experience has been received by fans. Working with Pokémon has been very collaborative and we both wanted the experience to create joy, delight and surprise visitors – and to blend our brands to create a museum-like experience centred around some fascinating Pokémon.

While developing the space, we decided to keep some elements under wraps until closer to the time, like the gallery and trading card, which was a nice surprise for fans. One of my favourite aspects of the pop-up is the beautifully designed window featuring handmade Pokémon models. I’ve looked at it so many times, and I can still discover new details!

“Designs drew directly from elements like the Museum’s ceiling tiles, books and botanical sketches.”

The product slate accompanying the product is beautiful. What steered where you went product development-wise?
Mathieu: Our development process is always very collaborative, and we quickly found a shared creative vision with the Natural History Museum. The Museum offers a wealth of inspiration – from its recognisable building to its extensive archives –which enabled us to create a collection that appeals to a wide range of fans.

Designs drew directly from elements like the Museum’s ceiling tiles, books and botanical sketches. By utilising their scientific expertise and translating it into the Pokémon world, we were able to create something special. A highlight is the Pikachu plush, which features a playful take on the Museum’s iconic architecture. It’s a unique product and it’s been great to see how excited fans have been about it.

Claire: Yes, we had a very strong direction from the initial ideas we explored as part of the collaboration – viewing Pokémon through the lens of the Natural History Museum, reimagining them on Victorian nature journals, scientific diagrams and even on our ceiling tiles. As part of any collaboration, several experts in the Museum are enlisted to help curate and deliver a product range. From our product development masters in our Licensing team, to some of our 400 world-leading researchers advising on the scientific accuracy of our designs, the range is a testament to the work and legacy of both brands. The products developed very naturally from those ideas and our focus was on creating a truly bespoke range, featuring a range of loved Pokémon that would appeal to all ages and budgets.

And what is a product highlight for you Claire?
Claire: It’s so hard for me to pick a favourite, but I would have to say the Pikachu at the Museum plush – as well as the scientific drawings range featuring Pikachu and fossil Pokémon, which really encapsulate the connection between our brands.

Terrific. And what are some north stars to successful collaborations between brands?
Mathieu: We always consider if there are meaningful links between the Pokémon world and a partner’s identity, and whether the experience will resonate with fans. Even for a pop-up, it’s essential that the quality and storytelling feel true to Pokémon, while still offering something fresh and unexpected. The goal is to create both a “wow” surprise moment, as well as “that makes sense!”. Bringing the theme of ‘Pokécology’ – inspired by the Japanese publication of the same name – to life with the Natural History Museum was a great example of this coming together. Through the lens of evolution, adaptation and ecology of the Pokémon world, we were able to create some beautiful art panels, merchandise and an impressive model installation at the front of the shop – which delighted museum visitors.

“We always consider if there are meaningful links between the Pokémon world and a partner’s identity.”

Max: When approaching a brand collaboration, you must remember that every collaboration is unique and should be approached in this way. When we pitched and started discussions, we ensured that we researched the brand, what the synergies were and how we could build a narrative that works for both brands’ strategies.

Storytelling is also key to how we approached this and, in doing so, we wanted to show how creative working with a heritage brand can be. Both the Museum and Pokémon have such rich stories to tell and combining this allowed us to create something that potentially no one would have expected, that thrills the fanbase for both brands.

How did you go about ensuring both brands had ‘equal footing’ in the partnership?
Maxine: Large projects like these take a lot of time and an incredible amount of people behind-the-scenes to create and realise, so to ensure that all parties involved were content with the narrative and concept, we ensured that we worked closely together at every step of the planning phase.

It is important that both brands are represented and it shows a true collaboration. By combining the incredible world of Pokémon alongside the Museum’s iconic building and pioneering natural research, we created a range that celebrates both.

And Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year Mathieu. Does that give you extra ‘license’ to embark on these types of creative collaborations?
Mathieu: Reaching a milestone like 30 years is an incredibly special and rare achievement. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate with long-standing fans while welcoming new ones. While it is exciting, we must be even more considered about quality, creativity and staying true to what Pokémon means to so many people.

Pokémon has remained strong for so long because we’re thoughtful about how the brand shows up. We’re fortunate to have ongoing interest from potential partners, but we’re always looking ahead and focused on finding the right fit.

Image credits: ©The Trustees of the Natural History Museum