To launch the iconic Japanese franchise Dragon Quest in Europe, we created a highly engaging, interactive, and culturally playful digital experience designed to go viral. The objective was to develop a pan-European viral campaign to promote the European debut of Dragon Quest, one of Japan’s most beloved and enduring franchises. The core campaign message was: “Dragon Quest is so good, you won’t want to stop playing.”
The strategy centered on a fully interactive film featuring a real superfan, Nobu Yamada, who was attempting to break the world record for the longest Dragon Quest gaming session. The experience was built on a simple yet compelling premise: inviting users to try to distract Nobu from his marathon gameplay by clicking on various objects in his room. Each click triggered a unique, and often hilarious, video reaction.
We created an interactive film that allowed users to interfere with Nobu’s progress, prompting different reactions as they interacted with him and his environment. Once users pushed Nobu’s patience to the limit, he would stop playing and begin expressing his frustration directly at them, ranting, gesturing wildly, and engaging in over-the-top comedic behavior.
The campaign’s success stemmed from several strategic elements:
- Cultural authenticity and humor: The inclusion of a Japanese character, authentic dialogue, and a room filled with Dragon Quest memorabilia created an immersive, tongue-in-cheek experience that felt true to the franchise while still being accessible to a European audience via subtitles.
- High shareability: The goal-oriented, multi-layered experience—culminating in the comedic payoff of Nobu “losing it”—was intentionally crafted for social sharing and conversation, naturally boosting the campaign’s reach.
- Built-in virality: The interactive film structure, made up of short, surprising video moments, was ideal for sharing across social platforms.
The campaign successfully transformed the franchise’s core message, Dragon Quest is irresistibly addictive, into an unforgettable, playful, and highly shareable experience that deeply resonated with the European audience.
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