To launch the iconic Japanese franchise Dragon Quest in Europe, we created a highly engaging, interactive, and culturally playful digital experience that would go viral. The objective was to produce a pan-European viral campaign to promote the European launch of Dragon Quest, one of Japan's most successful franchises. The core campaign message was, "Dragon Quest is so good, you won't want to stop playing."
The core strategy was a fully interactive film featuring a real super-fan named 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 and distract Nobu from his marathon gaming session by clicking on objects in his room. Each click triggered a unique, often hilarious, video response.
We created an interactive film that invited users to try and stop Nobu Yamada, an avid DQ fan, in his attempt to achieve the world record for the longest Dragon Quest game session. Users could interact with Nobu and his environment, generating a number of different reactions. Once you pushed Nobu's temper to its limit, he'd stop playing and start expressing his frustration at the user, ranting, gesticulating, and performing other crazy behaviors.
The campaign's success was driven by several strategic elements:
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Cultural authenticity and humor: The use of a Japanese character, authentic dialogue, and a room filled with Dragon Quest memorabilia created an immersive and humorous experience that felt genuine while also being accessible to a European audience through subtitles.
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High shareability: The goal-oriented, multi-level experience, culminating in the reward of watching Nobu "lose it", was designed for social sharing and discussion, naturally expanding the campaign's reach.
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Built-in virality: The interactive film format itself, with its short, surprising video clips, was highly suitable for being shared across social media platforms.
The campaign effectively translated the core message of Dragon Quest's addictiveness into an unforgettable, shareable, and successful launch that resonated deeply with the target audience.
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