Byravee Iyer
Aug 29, 2016

Thai bank offers Pokémon Go insurance: Protection from 'huge and dangerous stampedes'

A spate of accidents prompted Asia Insurance to launch a product to protect Pokémon Go players from themselves.

Thai bank offers Pokémon Go insurance: Protection from 'huge and dangerous stampedes'

Less than a week after the first Pokémon Go-related death in Japan, Thailand’s Asia Insurance launched the innovatively named (insert eye roll) PokéSurance, an online-only insurance product.

The company said the recent spate of injuries compelled it to launch the new product.

The PokéSurance offering includes options for mobile-phone screen insurance, personal accident insurance, car insurance and motorcycle insurance. And of course, there's an amusing promotional video.

According to the company:

With millions of people addicted to Pokémon Go, reports of injuries sustained while playing the game have also surfaced. Huge and dangerous stampedes are caused by trainers chasing down rare Pokémons all across the world. Injuries have come from accidents during walking, driving or even on a motorcycle.

Indeed. A Vice News video report recounted over 75 reports of violence, crime, and deaths since the game’s launch in July.

There have been reports of accidents and teenagers trespassing on a nuclear-power-plant property in Ohio.

US Reddit user Amalthea fell and broke her foot while playing the game. A bunch of players even stepped into a minefield in Bosnia.

Even relatively safe Singapore reported a vehicular accident soon after the app launched in the country.

“To meet the lifestyle needs of millennials, we view PokéSurance as our first and formal step into transforming our insurance business through technology, as a way to infiltrate a new group of people”, said Apinara Srikanchana, assistant managing director of business development, Asia Insurance.

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

3 hours ago

Scrutiny over media trading will be a top story in ...

Five of Campaign's global editors spoke on a panel at Campaign House in Cannes.

19 hours ago

Arthur Sadoun: Agencies should be ‘optimistic’ not ...

Publicis CEO gave exclusive interview at Campaign House on first day of Cannes Lions.

19 hours ago

Dentsu China unveils new media agency heads

Guang Cui, CEO of Dentsu China, will oversee media agencies, as Dephin Lim joins from WPP and Derek Huang transitions from Merkle to lead Dentsu X.

19 hours ago

WhatsApp officially introduces ads in updates tab

For the first time, WhatsApp will display ads and offer paid subscriptions for exclusive content in its Updates tab, expanding its revenue streams while keeping personal messages ad-free.