SINGAPORE. The Pokémon craze has swept the globe this year thanks to a highly-successful mobile app – and now the popular characters are taking over Singapore Changi Airport.
The airport has created a number of Pokémon-themed installations and activities to form a major part of its holiday season celebrations.
A Pikachu Parade – based on the series’ most recognisable character – kicked off the ‘Pokémon at Changi’ festivities, which will run until 11 February 2017. Ten life-sized Pikachu marched and danced to music in front of a crowd of fans in Terminal 3 on Friday (18 November). It was the first ever such parade held in Singapore.
A seven-metre Pikachu character installation has been unveiled in the T3 Departure Hall, claimed to be the largest “by far” of its type at the airport. A light show featuring music, dancing trees and soft falling ‘snow’ rounded off the opening event. The show will be staged four times a day on weekdays during the Pokémon at Changi festivities, and once on both Saturday and Sunday.
A Gingerbread House, Santa’s Workshop and Mrs Claus’ Confectionery area, filled with children’s toys and treats, have also been installed in the Departure Hall.
Changi Airport is promoting itself as the “destination to be for all aspiring Pokémon trainers”. The year-end festivities will feature meet-and-greet appearances by Pikachu at the Gingerbread House on weekends up to 1 January, presenting passengers and airport visitors with prime photo opportunities.
In T2’s Departure Hall, three life-sized Snorlax characters will feature at the Snorlax Garden, while a special Poké Trail has been created, giving Pokémon trainers the opportunity to hunt for 26 Pokémon at various locations across the airport. Those who take part will also be in with the chance of winning exclusive Pokémon merchandise. Visitors can scan the QR code at each character location to find out more about the pocket monsters at the Pokémon at Changi microsite.
In both the T2 and T3 Departure Halls visitors can have their faces painted onscreen and transformed to look like Pikachu at a number of face painting kiosks, which are making their worldwide debut at Changi.
Visitors can make videos and share them through social media platforms at the Z-Moves activity kiosks in both halls. An additional kiosk is located in Terminal 1’s Departure Transit Hall.
To commemorate the event, Changi has launched a set of nine limited-edition Pokémon plush toys which can only be purchased at the airport. These feature five Pokémon characters – Pikachu, Eevee, Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle – and three from Nintendo’s new Sun and Moon series – Rowlet, Litten and Popplio. A Poké Ball design makes up the final plush toy. Each can be purchased for S$9.90 (US$6.96), with a minimum spend at the airport [S$60 (US$42.19) in the public area, S$90 (US$63.28) on iShopChangi.com or S$120 (US$84.37) in the transit area, Changi Recommends and supermarkets in a single receipt].
Changi Rewards members can also redeem the full set of plush toys with an accumulated spend of S$1,800 (US$1,266) for normal-tier members, or S$1,500 (US$1,055) for Platinum members.
