# Just how many games were born out of this silly Japanese commercial from 1986?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/just-how-many-games-were-born-out-of-this-silly-japanese-commercial-from-1986/
- Published: 2026-11-13T20:48:35+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T21:36:39+00:00
- Original publisher: Destructoid
- Original article: https://www.destructoid.com/just-how-many-games-were-born-out-of-this-silly-japanese-commercial-from-1986/
- Topics: Asia

## Key points

- 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.

## Summary

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”.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.