Singapore will host the 2027 Pokémon World Championships at Singapore EXPO from 13 to 15 August 2027, according to pokemon.com (30 August 2026). For Singapore brands, Pokémon marketing comes in two forms. One is an official licence or collaboration agreed with The Pokémon Company. The other is fan-culture marketing that uses no Pokémon names, characters or logos and claims no link to the brand. Brands Win Agency is a Singapore-based agency that works with consumer brands, and this guide sets out where that line sits.

This is not legal advice. For any use of Pokémon names, characters or logos, speak to a lawyer and to The Pokémon Company.

Checked against The Pokémon Company, pokemon.com and IPOS, 14 October 2026.

What’s confirmed about Pokémon Worlds 2027 in Singapore

Pokémon announced the host city at the close of the 2026 World Championships. Its recap says: “The 2027 Pokémon World Championships will make its return to Asia, visiting beautiful Singapore for the very first time. Trainers will compete and fans will celebrate at Singapore EXPO”, over the weekend of 13 to 15 August 2027.

The Pokémon Company’s Asia press release (30 August 2026) confirms Singapore EXPO and adds: “More details will be shared in the future here.”

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) goes a little further. In a LinkedIn post (15 September 2026), STB says: “We’re excited to welcome the Pokémon World Championships 2027 to Singapore EXPO and the Singapore Indoor Stadium.” That second venue is STB’s wording. Pokémon’s own pages name Singapore EXPO only.

What hasn’t been announced yet matters just as much for brands. Pokémon has not published ticketing, spectator entry, side events, sponsors or official partners for Worlds 2027. Any plan that depends on those details should wait until Pokémon shares them.

Who owns Pokémon licensing in Singapore

This is the point brands most often get wrong. The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) is the name many marketers know, but its About page (read 14 October 2026) says it “manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing” and more. Singapore is in Asia, so TPCi is not the route for a Singapore deal.

For Singapore and the wider region, licensing and tie-ups sit with The Pokémon Company, the Japanese parent. It runs the Asia press site and describes its approach on its Licensing and Tie-ins page (read 14 October 2026): “The Pokémon Company collaborates continuously with a host of tie-up partners and licensees in planning and developing new products and services.”

Pokémon’s 12 August 2026 Singapore press release carries this notice: “TM, ®, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo.” In other words, the names you might want to use belong to someone else.

Singapore’s Intellectual Property Office explains why that matters. Its trade marks guide (last updated 26 March 2025) lists what a registered owner may do, including “License it to third parties”. Permission is how a brand gets the right to use someone else’s mark. Without it, using Pokémon names, characters or logos in marketing can create real legal risk.

Real Pokémon collaborations, and what they have in common

The official examples are worth studying, because they show what a licensed tie-up looks like.

Singapore, 2026. For Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, The Pokémon Company’s Singapore press release (12 August 2026) names Changi Airport Group, Jewel Changi Airport and The Kallang as “local partners” for PokéXciting! and Pokémon RUN 30 on 7 to 8 November 2026. It says “7-ELEVEN is slated to join the event as an official sponsor”, and runners receive “a UNIQLO-sponsored event T-shirt”. At Changi Airport and Jewel, shoppers with “a qualifying receipt from participating outlets” can get original Pokémon merchandise during a campaign that starts on 3 November 2026.

Asia, 2024. The Pokémon Company’s Licensing and Tie-ins page says “OREO Pokémon Cookies” went “on sale in eight countries and regions in Asia”.

High-end fashion. The same page lists CDG by Comme des Garçons in 2022, Tiffany & Co. with artist Daniel Arsham in 2023, and FENDI with Hiroshi Fujiwara in 2024.

Our observation is that these share three traits. Pokémon itself announces each one or names the brand as a partner. Each carries official designs. Each ties into a Pokémon moment, such as an anniversary or a seasonal theme. None of the official pages publish sales or results, so we don’t either.

IP risks: what not to do without a licence

If your brand has no agreement with The Pokémon Company, these are the habits to avoid:

• Characters and marks. Don’t use Pokémon characters, artwork, logos, the Poké Ball or a recognisable character silhouette in ads, packaging, merchandise or social posts.
• Implied affiliation. Avoid words such as “official”, “partner”, “in collaboration with Pokémon” or “Worlds 2027 special”. Keep the Worlds name and logo out of ad headlines. A factual, non-promotional mention of the event in editorial copy is a grey area, so follow legal advice.
• Lookalikes. Don’t sell lookalike merchandise or products “inspired by” specific characters.
• Keywords and hashtags. Don’t use Pokémon names as ad keywords or hashtags in a way that suggests a tie-in. Check each platform’s trademark policy and get legal advice first.
• Paid creator content. Brief creators not to feature Pokémon IP in paid brand posts unless your brand holds a licence. A creator’s own fan content is theirs, but once you pay for a post, it becomes your marketing. Our guide to writing an influencer campaign brief covers how to set those rules in writing.

None of this is legal advice. When in doubt, ask a lawyer before anything goes live.

Event-adjacent ideas that don’t borrow the IP

You don’t need a licence to be part of the conversation. You need ideas that stand on their own.

• Collector and gaming culture in general. Trading, collecting, competitive gaming, board game nights and cosplay as a hobby are all fair territory, as long as the brand content shows no Pokémon costumes, characters or logos.
• The visitor moment. STB says the event will be “creating memorable experiences for visitors, generating opportunities for our tourism sector”. Our recommendation: hotels, food and drink outlets and retailers in the east of Singapore can plan welcome offers for visitors in August 2027 without naming the event or using its marks.
• Creator content. Creators who already play or collect can make hobby content for products that suit long sessions, such as a gaming chair or a snack, with no Pokémon IP in the paid post. Our influencer marketing team plans this kind of creator content, and our creative and content team builds original visuals that don’t lean on anyone else’s characters.
• The real thing. If an official tie-up is the goal, approach The Pokémon Company early through its official channels. Lead times aren’t published, so don’t promise internal dates you can’t control.

For brands that plan by season, Growth System 90 is how we map a content calendar around moments like this one.

FAQs: Pokémon marketing in Singapore