Pokemon Bread stages strong comeback

Pokemon Bread, an iconic pastry series with kids of the 1990s, has been flying off the shelves since its return last week.

Manufacturer SPC Samlip said Thursday, it had sold 1.5 million of the rolls over the previous week, six times more than the first week sales of the company’s average for a new product.

The key to success lies in tapping into millennials’ nostalgic tendencies.

Released in 1999, Pokemon Bread took the youth of the time by storm. The roll wasn’t the main attraction; it was the character-engraved sticker inside it. Kids were eager to find the rarest ones, to the point where they discarded a great deal of bread just to find the sticker they wanted.

The dedicated fan base, now in their early and mid-30s, proved themselves still alive and kicking, only to shift their presence to social media. Over 4,000 posts featuring the nostalgic item were uploaded on the first day of the launch. Some even lined up at dawn to get their hands on the rolls, as stores are quickly running out of stock.

Among the seven different editions, the Returning Team Rocket Choco Roll makes up a whopping 40 percent of sales, with the cheese cake and hot sauce editions also proving to be successes.

Samlip has not just leaned on the legacy of the past but also embraced contemporary tastes by launching a personality test -- a big trend among young Koreans -- that helps users find their Pokemon soulmate. From those who share the test result on social media, 3,000 will be randomly selected to win a limited-edition Pokemon sticker book.

“We hope this relaunch helps customers relive their childhood memories,” said a Samlip official.

By Ahn Ju-hee (dianahn@heraldcorp.com)