client. LEGO®
brief. Pokémon Smart Play Launch | Retail, Experiential & Digital
role. senior art director
The Challenge
Launch LEGO® Smart Play technology within the Pokémon universe through integrated retail, experiential, and digital touchpoints. Drive attention, engagement, and purchase—while clearly demonstrating a completely new way to play. The system had to scale across formats, flex across footprints, and remain unmistakably Pokémon.
The Idea
Make Smart Play impossible to miss and impossible not to try.
The Pokemon Smart Play Experience
We anchored the launch with one of the most iconic characters in pop culture: Pikachu. Instantly recognizable beyond the core fanbase, Pikachu became the beacon of innovation—signaling energy, interactivity, and approachability from across the store.
Endcaps, in-aisle displays, windows, landing pages, and live events worked as one connected ecosystem. Interactive demo boxes invited shoppers to trigger lights, sounds, and motion reactions firsthand—transforming passive browsing into active discovery. Modular display systems flexed between single-IP and dual-franchise executions, ensuring consistency at scale while adapting to local retail realities.
The Impact
From storefront to screen, every touchpoint worked as one connected system.
Retail became responsive.
Technology became spectacle.
And Smart Play became unmissable.
WALMART STORES
Trend Pod
A larger-than-life Pikachu inflatable becomes the beacon. Illuminated concentric forms radiate energy while an interactive model box lets shoppers trigger Smart Play firsthand. Theatre at shelf.
In-aisle section
Motion sensors activate lights and sound as shoppers approach. The display performs the technology in real time — education through interaction.
Pokémon hunt
To amplify engagement, we introduced an in-store Pokémon Hunt. Fans were invited to “catch” hidden LEGO Pokémon throughout the space, with each discovery unlocking collectible rewards and revealing new play features. From scanning Pikachu with a parent’s phone to chasing multiple characters for exclusive posters, the journey rewarded curiosity and repeat exploration.
The final catch delivered a full sensory payoff—lights and sound erupting from a blow-form Pokémon—creating a retail wow moment that stopped traffic and drove it straight to the LEGO aisle.
This wasn’t just a product launch. It was a playable universe built inside the store.
TARGET STORES
End Focal
Scale leads. A dimensional Pikachu commands the space, backed by illuminated forms and a hands-on demo that turns attention into engagement.
In-aisle section
Responsive displays react to movement, pairing sound and light with product demos. The aisle becomes interactive.
End Cap
A bold anchor that makes Smart Play unmistakable. Clear callouts guide shoppers straight to the tech-enabled sets. Fast. Intuitive. Shoppable.
OOA
Unexpected, high-impact placements extend beyond the toy aisle — pulling shoppers in before they even start browsing.
Entry & Window Takeover
Oversized Pikachu and Eevee dominate the storefront. Bold Smart Play messaging builds anticipation from a distance and carries it inside.
Trainer's Guild Brand Activation
A high-energy, in-store play moment that transforms Target into a Pokémon arena—inviting shoppers to discover, train, and battle LEGO Pokémon, turning curiosity into hands-on excitement and driving instant engagement.
Landing Page
A branded landing page breaks retail convention, leading with LEGO® Pokémon and interactive modules that explain Smart Play fast.
Homepage Takeover
A 5–6 second homepage takeover converts awareness into clicks.
Social PostSocial teases with scroll-stopping bursts of Pikachu-led energy — intrigue first, sell second.
Check out the Star Wars Smart Play retail activation