Card collectibles promote city's commercial streets and business circles

The Shanghai Consumer Council and domestic leading pan-entertainment company Kayou launched a card distribution campaign at major commercial streets and business circles on Wednesday to boost the "Shanghai Summer" international consumer season.

The campaign under the support of the Shanghai Commerce Commission will distribute themed cards for free, with the card series featuring six cartoon images of My Little Pony combined with landmarks at six well-known commercial streets and business circles in Shanghai – Lujiazui, Nanjing Rd E., Huaihai Rd M., Yuyuan Garden, Nanjing Rd W. and Xujiahui.

The activity is estimated to attract the participation of over 200,000 shoppers.

Card-trading games combine entertainment, intellectual strategy, social interaction, and cultural collection.

Originating in Europe and America in the 1990s, they later spread to Japan and throughout Asia, forming a transnational and global phenomenon. As a cultural product under the new consumption model, trading cards is becoming increasingly popular among the young generation.

A series of cards integrating IP culture with urban commercial landmarks will be distributed at outlets of Kayou in Shanghai, such as Global Harbor and Hopson One, in the first phase and are expected to spread nationwide from November.

The Shanghai Consumer Council said promoting well-known commercial streets and business circles in Shanghai through trading cards popular among young people is a new attempt to boost sales.

"We coined the idea to connect cards with the 'Shanghai Summer' consumption season, and to attract more young people to Shanghai following the 'little pony' and make purchases here," said Tang Jiansheng, deputy secretary-general of the council.

"Cards are a very good carrier that connect offline consumption and we invite young people to visit the spots on these cards and experience the splendor of Shanghai," Tang said.