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Just how many games were born out of this silly Japanese commercial from 1986?
A 1986 Japanese Pocari Sweat advert starring Cindy Crawford has prompted speculation that its fantasy imagery may have influenced the look of the original Final Fantasy. The connection is uncertain, but the story highlights how cross-media influences can be difficult to trace and how familiar origin stories about games can be unreliable.
The advert’s art direction was by French artist Jean Giraud, known as Moebius, whose work influenced creators in manga, anime and film. Crawford later modelled for an early iteration of Samus Aran in Metroid Prime, according to the article. It also notes that the popular claim that Final Fantasy was named because it was expected to be SquareSoft’s last game has been debunked, while the Japanese title was closer in meaning to “Fighting Fantasy”.
In short
- A 1986 drink advert has sparked a Final Fantasy origin theory.
- Moebius art-directed the commercial starring Cindy Crawford.
- The advert’s influence on the game remains unproven.
Explained simply
Final Fantasy is a long-running series of role-playing games first made by Japan’s Square, later known as SquareSoft. Its early games helped establish a recognisable style, but the influences behind their look are not always easy to pin down.
The advert in question featured American model Cindy Crawford and artwork by French artist Jean Giraud, known as Moebius, whose distinctive style influenced creators across comics, animation and film. Crawford also modelled for an early version of Samus Aran, the central character in Nintendo’s Metroid series.
Stories about where game ideas and names came from can become simplified over time. For example, the familiar claim that Final Fantasy was named because it was expected to be SquareSoft’s last game has been disputed; its Japanese title was closer to “Fighting Fantasy”.