If you put dragons in a movie it’s going to be good. Point in case, Christian Bale’s not-so-seminal work, Reign of Fire. All about dragons. Breathing fire, flying around, smashing things, incinerating people. That shit is fantastic.
If you make a movie and put a wizard in it, it’s also going to be good. Harry Potter anyone? Lord of the Rings? People love magic but they’re ashamed to admit it. Not rabbit-out-a-hat crap - shooting spells from their hands and Windgardium Levi-oh-sa shit. People can’ get enough of it. And neither can I.
Why am I writing about dragons and magic? Because they’re hot right now. The World Wide Nerd Army is mobilizing and is poised to take over the world. Suddenly, all the things we used to be hated for loving are now accepted by the cool kids. Look at Comic-Con. I had several friends go to San Diego this weekend and they saw Charlize Theron and some random pornstars. Ten years ago comic-kids were drooling at pics of them online on their 54k modem as their pictures crept down the screen. Now, those half nude boner-inducing .jpgs are coming to them.
We talk a lot in ad school about First Adopters – people on the cutting edge of technology and in-the-know. Creative types. So why is Charlize Theron whoring herself out at Comic Con? Why are super hero and scifi movies the only money-makers for studios nowadays? Because Nerds are the First Adopters. I’m not sure if it’s always been that way, or the rest of the world can finally admit that “maybe D&D would sort of be fun to play.”
We’re instructed in ad school to target not the general public, but the people on the outskirts. To write highly specific targeted ads to the weirdos and the hope is they will tell their normal friends (with money) about you. As a weirdo myself, I find this exceedingly hopeful.
A partner and I are working on a campaign for a protein shake that will (hopefully) include lots of dragons and epicness and radical shit. I was skeptical in the direction at first. Dragons? On drinks for meatheads?
I’ve been known to dabble in a certain collectible card game. As a kid I was quite the erudite Magic The Gathering player. Nowadays the game is so diluted I don’t know which way is tap (inside joke for us nerds) and I don’t have the time. Regardless, my buddy had a step-dad that used to play cards with us. We had middle school bank accounts at the time (which is to say, no money) and this guy seemingly spent thousands of dollars on his cards. This is relevant because he was also huge. Like, the strongest nerd on the planet. If our protein drink existed 20 years ago, he’d collect the stuff if it had dragons on the packaging.
The point is, dragons have always had mass appeal and been totally awesome.
When the Nerd Army inevitably attacks, I will survive because I speak their language. I also cast a wicked charm spell.
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