Dungeons & Dragons(D&D) is a beloved game franchise all over the world since it was created in the 70s. It all started with fantasy RPG then over the years it had expanded to other mediums like books, tv, game consoles and cinema. Even in the popular series Stranger Things from Netflix the show-runners pay a tribute to Demogorgons and other creatures from D&D. Luckily, this bought attention to a whole new generation of geeks.
But even D&D worlds being so well know in the pop culture there is a less know TV show from the 80s called simply Dungeons & Dragons. The plot follows group of teenagers that get a ride in a park roller coaster and they suddenly are transported to a fantasy world. So they get stuck in this unreal place looking for a way to get back home, caring magical weapons, knowing fantastic creatures that include a baby unicorn, and a dragon with 5 heads. They are mentored by a mysterious ancient gnome and live great adventures while trying to escape from the arch enemy that flies in a horse with bat wings. The cartoon ran from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons on CBS but never get too much popular and the show was canceled after the 3rd season. This resulted in only 27 episodes and no ending for the adventure.
Meanwhile in Latin America in the country of Brazil, for some unknown reason, D&D cartoon became a pop cultural phenomenon. Here we call it "Caverna do Dragão". It was screened in the morning in a local channel called Rede Globo and watched by thousands of young Brazilians. The cartoon get very well known pretty much before D&D games. The games and books would be know only in the 90s. So in Brazil the cartoon comes first.
To have the dimension on how famous this cartoon was, is by looking on how beloved it still are in Brazil. In major cities where people had more access to TV at that time, It's difficult to find anyone between 35 and 45 yo that doesn't remember to watch those splendid episodes on tube TVs. Or to find some fans spending some time discussing theories on how the cartoon should have ended if a final episode was produced. Some dark theories about an unfinished final episode had spread after year 2000 which only helped to keep the legend alive.
Recently a company called Iron Studios specialized in luxury action figures did collectibles based on this characters that caused a real frenesi.
So it was in this context that one of the most awarded advertising agencies called DPZ, someone had the brilliant idea to bring back this characters in a TV spot for Renault Brazil. Following the world wave to adapt cartoon heroes into live action productions, to touch the affective memory was a real challenge. Play with these characters was a big deal and could potentially made a lot of people angry if it was made in the wrong way. And to give their vision of an "ending" for a story that fans waited so many decades could also be disastrous.
Luckily, the producers put a lot of heart in it. The commercial was treated like a Hollywood production with a big budget but in a very tight schedule. It was recorded in a real desert location in Salta, Argentine that resembles a lot the mystical landscapes from the cartoon. They casted local actors for the faces and had the attention to even cast the original voice actors from the 80s Brazilian version to dub. Pure nostalgia.
The commercial is really short, only 1m46s. Maybe in times of Game of Thrones this production doesn't seem so impressive for anyone who doesn't grew up watching these characters. Probably it looks very dumb characters for today's standards of heroes. But in Brazil, Renault and DPZ hit a bullseye shot capturing the imagination of a generation of Brazilian fans in a perfect way. While I'm writing this article YouTube is up to 2.8 mi views in 3 just days only on the official channel. The most impressive achievement in my opinion is that it is still an advertising. Instead people skip, they search to watch it by initiative in YouTube.
So I brought this magnificent history to Steemit community, because that's exactly what it is for Brazillian people: magnificent! Watch it below and comment. Do you think is cool? Or dumb? Why Brazilians like it so much?
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