Pokémon Go as a Cultural Marketing Tool for Museums

The Niantic-developed game Pokémon Go has become a marketing opportunity for museums and cultural institutions by placing PokéStops and PokéGyms at significant locations. Initially met with resistance—such as the Holocaust Museum in Washington requesting removal of game points—many institutions have since embraced the trend. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London host numerous PokéStops, with the British Museum's Parthenon gallery seeing visitors chasing virtual creatures. Museums in Los Angeles, including the Getty and LACMA, have promoted Pokémon on Twitter. Basel Tourism in Switzerland launched a viral campaign with the video 'Pokémon Go: The Revenge,' created with marketing agency Fadeout, achieving 69 million views. In Italy, Turin leads with events at the Borgo Medievale, Palazzo Madama, and the Museo d'Arte Orientale. The Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan reported new visitors attracted by Pokémon, some of whom engaged with the art. The article questions whether these players will become regular museum visitors or remain focused on their phones, but notes the trend as a positive step for Italian museums in adopting new technologies.