Japanese company, Shogakukan, created a extraordinarily popular comic book based on characters playing a classic Wizards of the Coast game. The best way to capitalize on that success was to build a new game world for the characters to play in. The challenge was crafting a highly licensable brand while the comic characters were still hot with kids.
We needed to work fast. Wizards of the Coast assembled a Strike Team of its best and brightest to build a new intellectual property, Duel Masters. With Shogakukan's help, we transformed a silly black and white comic into a vibrant, exotic world with 5 civilizations and hundreds of creatures.
In less than half the standard development time, the Wizards Strike Team produced a world-class trading card game. Microcopy on every card carried rules text and conveyed the flavor and tone of the game world. English and Japanese learn-to-play materials were built for print and online.
Duel Masters was designed to be a licensing powerhouse. The Wizards Strike Team built a comprehensive brand style guide. It was packed with the brand's iconography, terminology, and standards. It covered the key brand beats and served as a visual guide to the world.
Publishers were the first to employ the style guide. Their books and comics helped grow the Duel Masters world and its mythology. The Strike Team transitioned from being the property's creators to being its brand and licensing managers.
As sales of the trading card game blasted past $100M, a large cadre of licensees joined the Duel Masters world. Dozens of toys, a large collection of videos games, and a host of other branded products were sold world-wide. The brand management team worked closely with each of the partners to ensure the most was made of each opportunity.
The card game was launched with a 17-state mall tour complete with a 24-foot tall robot. International Organized Play tournaments attracted tens of thousands of players monthly. A McDonald's Happy Meal promotion introduced millions of new kids to the brand.
The Duel Masters generated more than $300M in world-wide revenue. The TV show's 65 episodes often captured the highest viewership numbers for their time slot. After a strong run, the fickle fancy of children turned elsewhere, and Wizards of the Coast retired the line. Recently, they relaunched the game. It is now again one of their top 3 brands.
Creative Director