Pikachu, the cute yellow mouse-like Pokémon which rules the hearts of children and adults alike for decades. But now surprised Pikachu meme is making people fall in love again with this cute little Pokémon.
Nowadays, memes are taking the world by storm. In a minute or so, a post or picture becomes viral and turned into a meme.
Similarly, this ‘surprised Pikachu’ turned into an overnight meme was—unintentional. However, the massive response by the users to this meme led to rumors of this meme being used as a stealth marketing campaign by the makers of the 2019 Pikachu-based flick: Detective Pikachu.
In this article, we delve deep into this cute-little Pokémon meme to know its origin, popularity, and alleged stealth marketing campaign.
So, read till the end to know all the details about the Pikachu which will make your heart melt in no time.
What is the Origin of Surprised Pikachu Meme?
For this, we have to travel back to 2018. A user named “popokko” on Tumblr posted a snapshot of Pikachu, who looks rather surprised or in shock at something.
The snapshot of the Pikachu swiftly ends up into a meme. Subsequently, the popularity of the meme shot through the roof, when the meme traveled from Tumblr to Reddit.
Further into the origin of the meme, remember the user, who remember ‘posted the snapshot of Pikachu,’ she was a girl named Angela.
She was obsessed with Pokémon, and especially, in awe of Pikachu. So, when she was binge-watching the Pokémonanime series. The episode was the 10th of the first season, named “Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village.” So, at the near end of the episode, she came across something unusual: a shocked Pikachu. Angela took a screenshot of it.
But why was Pikachu Shocked?
The scene which left Pikachu shocked, was when Ash Ketchum tried to capture the combative Bulbasaur. The wild Pokémonresisted each attempt of Ash & Co to trap him. The awaiting moment came when Ash chose ‘Butterfree’ to beat Bulbasaur. But the truculentPokémon reversed the Butterfree attack onto herself. That is what made the Pikachu surprised, and hence, the meme.
How did the Surprised Pikachu Meme Become Viral?
It is a fun story. As the screenshot of the still-cum-surprised Pikachu was posted on Tumblr. It gained insane traction. The massive traffic led the meme to other social-blogging websites. While the apex of the post came when the shocked face of Pikachu winds up on Reddit. On Facebook, the response was also overwhelming to the meme. Even the meme went through some redo. Like, the meme was blurred for a specific reason to highlight the ‘computer’s long-lasting effects on the eyesight.’
Eventually, the spread of this meme is around users ranging between 16 to 30 years. While 2019 and 2020 were the years the meme’s popularity soared on platforms like Reddit, 9GAG, 4chan, and whatnot.
Was Surprised Pikachu Meme a Stealth Campaign?
An article was published in Wired magazine back in October 2020. The piece suggested the meme was a stealth marketing campaign by the filmmakers of Detective Pikachu.
The writer analyses different popular memes like the “Distracted Boyfriend.” He studied the ‘surprised Pikachu’ meme too. What he finds is something unusual.
The meme of the Pikachu popularity coincided with the arrival of the live-action Detective Pikachu trailer. Even the trailer also shows that surprised expression. This made the writer convinced that the meme was promoted by the makers of the Detective Pikachu movie.
But the writer also expresses his suspicion on this conclusion. Meanwhile, Angela, who ultimately, made the Pikachu meme said otherwise.
Conclusion
Besides, the meme is stealth marketing or not. The surprised Pikachu meme took the world with, you know, surprise. But the meme was heartwarming and it melts many hearts.
Pro-Tip: Want to know more about Pokemon?
When we are talking about Pokémon, it is not possible there is no conversation about PokemonGo. The game caught the world in its immersive world. So, if you are a fan of PokemonGo, check out this cool article to learn more about PokemonGo and how to trade cards in it.
