Driving Footfall and Fandom for Bandai Namco
The Challenge
Bandai Namco Amusements is home to Pac-Man, Gundam, Tamagotchi, Dragon Ball and more. But how do you get fans to care about a new Birmingham store when they can already shop online?
The task was to turn a launch into a fan-powered event, driving footfall, building hype, and making Cross Store feel like the only place to truly live the brand.
Cross Store isn’t about shopping. It’s about stepping inside Bandai Namco’s world. So the launch strategy had to be more than posters and press releases. It needed to feel alive on the streets. Unexpected. Unmissable.
The Concept
The Execution
We didn’t just hand out flyers. We brought the characters out to play.
Ad walkers pounded the pavements around the Bullring, dressed head-to-toe in bold Cross Store visuals and armed with QR codes unlocking opening-week offers. But this was just the start.
Strategically, the idea can scale and stretch:
City Takeover: Imagine Pac-Man chasing ghosts across Birmingham’s digital billboards, leading fans towards the store.
Cosplay Meets Commerce: Local cosplayers become living signposts, snapping selfies with fans and driving them to the launch.
Gamified Trails: A city-wide treasure hunt with digital clues leading to the store, with exclusive merch drops for finishers.
From the pavement to the timeline, the launch felt less like retail, more like a cultural happening.
The Results
The London Cross Store proved there’s demand. Birmingham was the sequel — bigger crowds, bigger noise, bigger sales.
Footfall spiked opening week
Social chatter surged with fans sharing their finds
Store launch coverage landed in national press and fan media
Cross Store positioned as the place for UK anime and gaming culture
We didn’t just open another store. We built a playground for fans. And once you’ve been inside, shopping online feels flat.