WALNUT CREEK — At some Bay Area Target stores, the giant red spheres that sit near the front entrances are looking a little Pokemon-centric.
The Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill stores have the giant Poke Balls sitting out front, and according to social media, so do many others.
They’re not actually PokeBalls. The red spheres that normally sit outside Target entrances to foil oncoming vehicles have been painted to look like the virtual balls that Pokemon Go enthusiasts try to catch.
While many Facebook and Twitter users buzzing about the PokeBalls thought the work was that of graffiti artists, Target confirmed that it is behind the PokeBall creations.
Target has long supplied Pokemon enthusiasts with Pokemon toys, games and gear. The enthusiasm for the virtual Pokemon Go game that exploded this summer prompted the retailer to do more, it said in a blog post Thursday.
“We wanted to create an extra special experience for our biggest Pokémon fans, and landed on this idea that we think they’ll love,” said Rick Gomez, senior vice president of marketing at Target, in the blog. “Our creative team — many of whom are Pokémon fans themselves — designed the Poke Balls, and we worked quickly to get them up across the country. We hope our guests have as much fun with them as we do.”
In addition to the painting of the 1,200-pound concrete PokeBalls, Target stores throughout the country will also have Pokemon products on full display this month, with a front-and-center collection of video games, cards, apparel and backpacks — all promoting Pokemon.
It follows a pattern of businesses trying to cash in on the Pokemon Go popularity. From local bars and restaurants, to mall retailers, to real estate offices, businesses in the Bay Area and beyond try to attract Pokemon Go users through lures and promotions, or include the Pokemon brand in their marketing.
Contact Annie Sciacca at 925-943-8073. Follow her at Twitter.com/AnnieSciacca.