Creatives use #PokemonGoHome to raise awareness for EU citizen rights

This weekend, some posters went up around London questioning the status of Pokemon and calling for their deportation. Actually they are using Pokemon Go, and everyone's preoccupation with the game to raise awareness about t he fate of EU nationals in the wake of Brexit. There is some concern about what will happen if Article 50 passes which could jeopardize the status of more than half a million people.

The parody posters are a cheeky take on the issue, with lines like Just because your Pokemon is here doesn't mean it can stay," leading to the website Pokemon Go Home. Once there the rug is pulled for good.

The government aren't sending your Pokemon away.
But for 590,000 EU Nationals in the UK, it isn't looking so good.
Following Britain’s decision to leave the EU, more than half a million people won't meet the residency requirements needed to stay if Article 50 is triggered next year.
We decided to make this campaign to draw attention to the uncertainty surrounding the fate of EU Nationals in the UK, who may lose their right to live and work here.
Imagine being here right now, but knowing you might be thrown out in the future.
Imagine knowing you might be parted from your job, family and friends.
For many in the UK, that’s a worrying reality they wake up to every day.
It’s time for our government to end the uncertainty.
Sign the petition to guarantee EU Nationals a right to remain in the UK and show that people are just as important as Pokemon. Thank you

It is the creative teams' hope that the petition

I'll leave my friends across the pond to discuss the efficacy of the campaign, but it is certainly opportunistic in its timing. If advertising has become nothing more than jumping on culture rather than creating it, this is about as effective and contextual as you can get. The posters were placed all over London where no doubt, people who are playing Pokemon Go will see them. So far, it's working. If they get a cease and desist from Nintendo it'll only help the cause, too.

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