Gotta catch it all: 'Pokémon Town 2024 with Lotte' coming to Lotte World Tower

Lotte Group announced that the "Pokémon Town 2024 with Lotte" event will take place at Lotte World Tower from April 26 to May 19.

A poster for "Pokémon Town 2024 with Lotte" event [LOTTE CORPORATION]

Lotte World Tower and the adjacent area in Jamsil, southern Seoul, are set to undergo a Pokémon-themed transformation.

Lotte Group unveiled the “Pokémon Town 2024 with Lotte” event on Monday, which it will set up at Lotte World Tower and World Mall from April 26 through May 19.

The event marks the first time the Korean conglomerate will hold a "content business project" as a group across all 10 of its affiliates, such as Lotte Property & Development, Lotte Department Store and Lotte Hotels & Resorts.

As part of the upcoming event, giant art balloons of Pikachu and Lapras will be inflated at Seokchon Lake in front of Lotte World Tower to welcome visitors. The large Pikachu balloon is expected to surpass the size of the giant rubber duck from 2022, which was 18 meters (59 feet) tall. The Arena Park on the south side of the complex will host Pokémon-related mini-games and parade events.

Lotte affiliates such as Lotte Wellfood, Lotte Chilsung Beverage, and Lotte GRS will release exclusive products utilizing Pokémon intellectual property (IP). Lotte Cultureworks and Lotte Concert Hall are planning to premiere a 25th-anniversary Pokémon animation film in theaters and organize a Pokémon animation concert.

A Pokémon pop-up store held at Lotte World Mall in Songpa District, southern Seoul, bustles with a crowd of customers on Dec. 15, 2023. [LOTTE DEPARTMENT STORE]

The retail industry has been pursuing content business projects integrating IP to plan products, services and spaces in a bid to leverage popular content to easily attract customers and engage with them.

In a recent meeting regarding "content business," Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin emphasized the importance of strengthening the concept through "collaboration with leading global IP content companies" and developing a business model "that can enhance Lotte's asset value in the long term." Lotte also recently established a team dedicated to content business under Lotte Corporation.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]