Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast division have worked with agency Vibrant Studios to launch an immersive experience in which Dungeons & Dragons fans can be the protagonists of their own game.

Dungeons & Dragons: The Immersive Quest includes a theatre, cinematic videos, soundscapes, and interactive multimedia stations in a multi-room space of more than 15,000 square feet. Participants begin their journey by choosing which type of adventurer they want to become, and then embark on a quest to retrieve a magical gem from an evil dragon.

The activation also includes franchise-themed beverages and snacks, as well as a retail store. It will be open for four months in front of the Square One mall in Mississauga, before moving to another city in North America.

To promote the experience, Hasbro is running a DOOH campaign in the GTA, including ads in the GYGO amusement centre, which “give the brand major visibility across multiple sides of the building to ensure high-impact impressions in a key location,” Eric Brouillet, president and founder at Vibrant, tells MiC. The media plan also includes ads on YouTube, Meta, TikTok and Spotify, with Havas handling the buy.

According to Brouillet, this is the first immersive Dungeons & Dragons experience of this scale and complexity in Canada. Unlike previous ones, this is an interactive, live, multi-sensory event, he says. “We’ve built out over 15,000 square feet of space to bring this world to life in a way that has never been done before for the franchise.”

The activation is also in keeping with what Dungeons & Dragons is all about, Brouillet says, adding that the franchise – which has evolved from board games to digital games, books, TV shows and movies – has positioned itself as a brand rooted in creativity, camaraderie and epic storytelling, and that’s exactly what the activation delivers. “This immersive experience is a natural extension of that legacy,” he says.

Hasbro’s goal is to attract both fans and new generations who are not familiar with the franchise, but who like fantasy worlds, magic and adventure. The GTA is the ideal place to achieve that goal, as Brouillet says it is has a diverse Dungeons & Dragons fan base. “We [also] want this experience to be a gateway for people to discover the brand and join the community. Our goal is to bring in both existing fans and newcomers, expanding our reach and continuing to grow the brand.”