In this op-ed Saatchi & Saatchi Australia art director Matias Reyes Guilmant, makes the case for borrowing a page from Dungeons & Dragons, exploring how brands can build story worlds that leave room for creative improvisation without losing the plot.
(Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing narrative game where a ‘Dungeon Master’ directs a story and designs the conditions for it to happen. They establish the world, rules, threats, motivations, paths, consequences… while players navigate and impact it with their characters and decisions.)
If you grew up between the ‘80s-’90s, are curious about games & fiction, or simply love ‘Stranger Things’, you’ve probably heard about Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). But it was only after my first time playing that I realised why good Dungeon Masters (DM’s) might be great at directing a brand.
In our industry, we often stress-test the work by questioning ‘why would anyone care?’.
Our ideas must be interesting enough to earn attention, while being clear-enough to achieve their goals.
Turns out, this is exactly what Dungeon Masters do: create solutions that keep hard-to-please audiences coming back for more.
So, if you’re a geek for creative effectiveness, then put your wizard hat on, grab a torch, and let’s venture into the story systems of Dungeon Masters.
Lesson 1: Defining the sandbox
Like any creative role, Dungeon Masters (DM’s) balance freedom and boundaries.
They can’t just write a script to be followed, because part of the game’s appeal is that players have agency.
Without room to imagine and improvise, players resist or disengage from the story.
However, without clear-enough structure, you get the same problem.
“It’s like filling a toy chest”, said DM Brennan Lee Mulligan.
You prepare characters, locations, objects and motives so they’re able to be moved around and recombined at different points like building blocks, letting the DM redirect the flow of the story as needed.
That modularity might sound familiar if you’ve worked on a commercial.
But when I saw this in action, all I could think of was Nick Law (creative chairperson at Accenture Song in New York) and his talk about systems-thinkers and story-thinkers.
Law argues story-thinkers have a knack for creating simple, revelatory moments, while systems-thinkers explore possibilities and understand how different parts work together.
They’re different skills, but good ideas require both.
Clarity and simplicity without being stale.
Openness and surprise, without being vague.
In both advertising and D&D, we must identify when we need more ‘story’ (single-minded reveals driving things forward) or more ‘system’ (fluidity, lateral ways-in).
This becomes even more important in the long term.
Lesson 2: Playing the long game.
D&D campaigns can last for years.
To keep player’s invested, DM’s constantly evolve the premise, and seek out satisfying endings, just like a TV or book series.
When it comes to advertising campaigns, many of us also aspire to create something that grows over time. An iconic, long-lasting brand platform that can generate fresh stories without losing its meaning.
The best examples usually revolve around a simple human insight that works like a ‘commercial fable’, reminding people of the brand and why to choose it:
Bad eyesight causes mistakes. You only notice milk when it’s gone. Don’t bring the wrong vehicle for the job.
Good brand platforms are recognisable, repeatable, and flexible enough to become lenses for real life.
However, big ideas must survive media plans, retail needs, stakeholder feedback, and the slow erosion of originality that happens when they get passed around too many rooms.
Just like a D&D campaign, brand platforms can play with their premises, but always with clarity around how it can and shouldn’t change.
This matters because brands (and D&D games) are built over time, not in one heroic spike.
Both IPA and Ehrenberg-Bass support the value of consistent, distinctive brand building that reinforces memory structures over time. Brands should continually reinforce recognisable cues, while refreshing executional expression to maintain attention and effectiveness.
In essence, Dungeon Masters use similar story-systems to create effective campaigns the same way many of the world’s best brands do.
Lesson 3: The End Game
Dungeon Masters know when the overall plot needs to conclude, in the same way a brand leader knows when it’s time to say goodbye to a platform.
They take what they’ve learnt and create a new story and system designed for contemporary challenges and ambitions.
So, while many Dungeon Masters volunteer, it should be no surprise they can be hired professionally. They’re doing a specialised creative job, after all.
They design experiences that people can easily understand, remember, and act on. They manage attention, raise stakes, and create satisfying moments. They consistently create fresh ways to maintain and grow engagement.
Above all, they make sure the story works, and goes where it needs to.
So, if your brand is feeling too vague or too rigid, perhaps invite a Dungeon Master into your office lair to roll some dice for insight.
Who knows, you might even find some treasure.
