introduction
This project reimagines the marketing campaign for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. As a longtime fan of the franchise and RPG storytelling, I saw an opportunity to shift the visual strategy toward something more aligned with the spirit of the game grounded in world building, humor, and party dynamics. My goal was to create a campaign that appealed to both dedicated fans and newcomers by leaning into the adventure and chaos that define the D&D experience.
VISUAL TONE & EMOTION
The visual tone embraces the classic spirit of D&D campaigns:
Adventure – a party entering the unknown
Fantasy spectacle – dragons, dungeons, mythical creatures
Humor & chaos – nodding to the unpredictable nature of real RPG gameplay
While the hero key art leans into classic fantasy adventure and world-building, the character posters add a layer of light-hearted, in-universe humor—mirroring the self-aware tone of the film. The graffiti and poster scribbles reflect the kind of chaos, contradictions, and party dynamics that define real D&D gameplay.
Color palette: deep dungeon reds, warm portal glows, and layered texture maps to create depth and mystery.
Logo styling: modified to integrate with each environment (e.g., carved into stone, layered into posters) to reflect the idea that “the world changes, but the brand stays.”
AUDIENCE
Primary:
• Fans of D&D (both long-time tabletop players and newer RPG fans)
• Viewers ages 16–35 who love ensemble fantasy with heart and humor
• Social media users familiar with party dynamics, meme formats, and character tropes
Secondary:
• General audiences interested in fantasy-adventure blockbusters
• Genre fans of titles like Guardians of the Galaxy, The Witcher, or Stranger Things
RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
I rewatched the film to understand core themes, locations, and character arcs. I also looked at:
Legacy D&D Player Handbook covers for layout and framing
Comments from RPG communities (e.g., Reddit) expressing that the original campaign felt “too generic”
Takeaway: D&D fans wanted something deeper, more personal, and lore aware without alienating casual viewers.
KEY ART DEVELOPMENT
Concept Exploration
Early poster concepts explored visual metaphors such as:
Portals/dungeons acting as visual thresholds
Iconic dice shapes
Silhouetted party formations and dungeon entries
Final Hero Poster
The final design uses a literal dungeon gate with a fiery portal with the dragon waiting beyond, and the party silhouetted in the foreground. I photobashed set elements from the film and color-graded the environment to evoke classic RPG handbooks.
Poster composition references classic Player’s Handbook layouts while going for a modern cinematic edge.
CHARACTER POSTERS: WANTED SERIES
This series reimagines each main character as a “Wanted” poster, reinforcing the plot thread of thievery, bounty, and mistaken identity. Each poster includes:
Graffiti style scribbles to reflect in world jokes, class rumors, and contradictions
A muted parchment tone with red ink overlays
Differentiated language for tone (e.g., “Innocent” vs. “Traitor”) to tease dynamics
These could appear in subway wild postings, fan events, or interactive street campaigns.
DIGITAL & SOCIAL EXTENSIONS
To expand reach, I conceptualized social ideas to tap into RPG community behaviors:
SNAPCHAT/AR Filter: Roll a dice and randomly assigns you a D&D race and places you in the setting of where the movie takes place
Alternate Character “Player Sheets” : Share stats like “Charisma: 20” or “Alignment: Chaotic Good” in mock RPG profile cards for TikTok/Instagram
OOH + BRAND ACTIVATION MOCKUPS
I expanded the campaign across:
Bus shelter & digital billboard mockups (featuring animated dragon eye glow)
Immersive player handbook edition (for merch or fan bundle)
Mobile poster animations with ember effects for trailers or streaming listings
Wild postings with wanted series along street walls
ANIMATED BILLBOARD
REFLECTION
This campaign taught me how to adapt a rich IP into a cinematic visual language while respecting brand continuity. From integrating the logo into environment driven key art to honoring the tone with character-forward, lore based Wanted posters, I focused on storytelling that could live inside the world of the film while appealing to modern viewers across formats.