D&D is now in (exceedingly awesome) commercial form

[Thornir Alekeg]

Not at all convinced that the ad will do anything at all for either lapsed gamers or for new players. The art and the music may appeal to older D&D devotees, but not much else.

As for the comments about the target being parents or a relative to see the ad and buying it for their kids or nieces or nephews; I really hope that isn't WotC's marketing strategy. They would be a heck of a lot better off marketing to the kids directly so they want to try the game than hope for kids to want to try something their parents or uncle played with they were kids.

Of course I'm also not convinced this is a real ad from WotC anyway. I suspect somebody edited that older video, attached a splash of the new red box to the end and tried to pass it off as a real ad from WotC.

 

[CharlesRyan]

I thought it was supposed to be aimed at NEW players?

Have you even seen the Red Box? It is ABSOLUTELY aimed at the nostalgia crowd--dads, uncles, and so on who have fallen away from D&D but still hold the memories dear in their hearts. Why else would the release a basic game in the EXACT SAME PACKAGING as was used in 1982?

If that's the strategy for your product, why wouldn't it be the strategy for your marketing as well?

Yes, the goal is to recruit new players. Through the vector of their dads and uncles. (And they may also bring back a few of those dads and uncles themselves; those guys have more time and money now that the kids are older and their careers are more settled.) The exact same strategy that brought Scalectrix back from the brink a few years ago.

 

[Jor-El]

Have you even seen the Red Box? It is ABSOLUTELY aimed at the nostalgia crowd--dads, uncles, and so on who have fallen away from D&D but still hold the memories dear in their hearts. Why else would the release a basic game in the EXACT SAME PACKAGING as was used in 1982?

If that's the strategy for your product, why wouldn't it be the strategy for your marketing as well?

Yes, the goal is to recruit new players. Through the vector of their dads and uncles. (And they may also bring back a few of those dads and uncles themselves; those guys have more time and money now that the kids are older and their careers are more settled.) The exact same strategy that brought Scalectrix back from the brink a few years ago.

But WoTC says its a beginner set for new players.

I think its absolutely aimed at lapsed players, and for some reason, folks that already play seem to be buying it, even though they already know how to play.

Just seems like if they really want to grow the game they need to stop "preaching to the choir" and actually make some attempt to bring in new blood.

 

[Nifft]

That's right - the Red Box has a commercial, and it's so hilariously cheesy that it wraps around and becomes one of the most awesome thing imaginable.

That is solidly awesome.

Its been adapted...the source (and the long version!)

Wow, very interesting. I see all kinds of amateur mistakes in the original. They did a GREAT job cleaning that up, and distilling down the good parts.

Have you even seen the Red Box? It is ABSOLUTELY aimed at the nostalgia crowd--dads, uncles, and so on who have fallen away from D&D but still hold the memories dear in their hearts. Why else would the release a basic game in the EXACT SAME PACKAGING as was used in 1982?

If that's the strategy for your product, why wouldn't it be the strategy for your marketing as well?

Yes, the goal is to recruit new players. Through the vector of their dads and uncles. (And they may also bring back a few of those dads and uncles themselves; those guys have more time and money now that the kids are older and their careers are more settled.) The exact same strategy that brought Scalectrix back from the brink a few years ago.

"Remember kids, you can't call him Uncle Smelly when he's around."

But yeah, I totally agree that the Red Box is a nostalgia play. To have nostalgia-based marketing is just good sense.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Canor Morum]

I think the ad is awesome. It is meant to be nostalgic as well as appealing to new players. This is the whole dual purpose of the Red Box and Essentials. Bring back old players, bring in new players. How is this not obvious?

If you think the ad will not appeal to kids you don't know much about kids. Retro is totally hip, think of all the 80's franchises that have been revived in the past few years.

As a piece of marketing I think it works pretty well. A kid would see this and go, "WTF was that!!??" Then they would presumably go to the website and learn about D&D.

As far as heavy metal being connected to D&D, all the kids I played 2E with in high school were the stoner heavy metal types, not the typical nerds you might imagine. Many intelligent, creative and socially awkward kids are drawn to heavy metal and it's culture.

 

[Jor-El]

Have you even seen the Red Box? It is ABSOLUTELY aimed at the nostalgia crowd--dads, uncles, and so on who have fallen away from D&D but still hold the memories dear in their hearts. Why else would the release a basic game in the EXACT SAME PACKAGING as was used in 1982?

If that's the strategy for your product, why wouldn't it be the strategy for your marketing as well?

Yes, the goal is to recruit new players. Through the vector of their dads and uncles. (And they may also bring back a few of those dads and uncles themselves; those guys have more time and money now that the kids are older and their careers are more settled.) The exact same strategy that brought Scalectrix back from the brink a few years ago.

But WoTC says its a beginner set for new players.

I think its absolutely aimed at lapsed players, and for some reason, folks that already play seem to be buying it, even though they already know how to play.

Just seems like if they really want to grow the game they need to stop "preaching to the choir" and actually make some attempt to bring in new blood.

 

[Mistwell]

...not to mention, I didn't realize they never even bothered to change the art on the new red box cover from cover art from the 80's?

Again, seriously?

I'm appalled.

Steeldragons, I think you're not getting where they are coming from on this.

They didn't "not bother to change" the cover. They actually had a different new piece of art, and made a decision to go with the older artwork. A real marketing decision, backed by real market research.

Tapping into the nostalgia of older editions is a major marketing move. In the only marketing survey to have data leaked to the public, we learned that a huge number of players (an extraordinary number) are lapsed 1e players. WOTC is targeting those people with this advertisement.

Recently I showed my brother-in-law my old collection of 1e stuff, and it BLEW HIS MIND. He couldn't put the stuff down. He poured over it for hours and hours. He hadn't touched D&D since that era, and he was truly stunned and the number of fond memories just seeing those old books brought out in him.

That's the guy this ad goes after. Thousands and thousands of those guys. That's the guy the old-artwork cover goes after as well. And it works. My brother-in-law now has the new Red Box, and he's introducing it to his three kids.

Just take a moment and consider the possibility that the effect this has on some people is completely different from the effect it has on you. And consider that getting those people re-interested in D&D, and bringing their kids into it, is a good thing for the hobby.

 

[Cor_Malek]

That's the guy this ad goes after. Thousands and thousands of those guys. That's the guy the old-artwork cover goes after as well. And it works. My brother-in-law now has the new Red Box, and he's introducing it to his three kids.(...)And consider that getting those people re-interested in D&D, and bringing their kids into it, is a good thing for the hobby.

Whoah. If this works as intended, that would create such a great generation of players. Not that the two generations we have going are bad, but both relied heavily on either peers or Older Friends being the DM, which supposedly (didn't really encounter this problem myself) sometimes led to situations where DM thought he was playing against the group. These new players would get to know DM's who think primarily, or only - on everyone having lot's of fun. And them being experienced, not only RPG-wise, will set high standards to look for.

I already loved the idea of Encounters, this is another move that really brings the Wizards fanboy out of me.

 

[Ainamacar]

But WoTC says its a beginner set for new players.

I think its absolutely aimed at lapsed players, and for some reason, folks that already play seem to be buying it, even though they already know how to play.

Is it aimed at new players or lapsed ones? The answer is "yes."

By cranking up the nostalgia factor to 11 it markets directly to lapsed players. For them to buy the game for themselves (if they are so inclined) that is enough. Emphasizing the part about new or beginning players (i.e. who the game is "intended for") encourages them and gives them tacit permission to introduce the game to their younger family members, etc.

I see it as show and tell, or a marginally subtle "but wait, there's more!". Show the lapsed players what they remember, and tell them it's not just for them. Those aren't mixed messages, they are complementary ones.

 

[steeldragons]

Mistwell, thanks for the attempted clarification.

I am shocked that that is considered a "real marketing decision based on real marketing research." Regardless of reusing some 20 year old cover art, it still looks like some 80's music video (exceptionally poor by today's standards but would be "really cool" for the time).

As for what the "effect" nostaliga has on me being different from other people, I cannot say. I like nostalgia. I get nostalgic. I recognized all (or practically all) of the art used in the "video-turned-ad." Probably still have most of the source material floating around in an attic somewhere. "What's this with the Githyanki image from FF?" was my first thought when I saw the screen...and how I was looking forward to something "extremely awesome." That just wasn't it.

Still, speaking as someone who could be counted among that "extraordinary number" of lapsed 1e players, seeing that display would neither entice me to buy it for myself nor to share with my kids (if I had any).

Sure, if it does for other people then yes, objectively speaking, that would be "good for the hobby." But having a bit of marketing and advertising experience myself, as well as some graphics experience, THAT was not worth what WotC paid for it (to be banking on "nostalgia"), research or no.

Just my humble opinion. If you enjoy it, enjoy it. But for me, not so much.
--SD