WoW and nonsense nostalgia or: when a sorcerer learned to drive a Toyota

Do you remember the “Four Wheels of Fury”? It sounds absolutely absurd when you look at advertising standards on linear television these days. There is advertising for shampoo, for hemorrhoid ointment, crazy waddling for children Pingui and sometimes a pensioner makes it easier for him to go to his grandchild with a stair lift.

Sometimes you almost have the feeling that linear television is only made for seniors and hardly anyone under the age of 50 strays into the regular TV program. But there were also times when Netflix, Disney+ and the like were just a twinkle in the eyes of those responsible and there was still really absurd advertising. With an MMO for example. With THE MMO for example. Appearance: Toyota, WoW (buy now ) and the “Four Wheels of Fury”!

Toyota Tacoma critically hits Dragon

On October 6th, 2007 – yes, 15 years ago – during a live football game broadcast by CBS, an advert that couldn’t have been more epic was aired. Based on the legendary Leeroy Jenkins incident, a trio of Azeroth heroes apparently came together in Azshara to fight a black dragon. Incidentally, this is the model of Nefarian from Blackwing Lair, referred to as Cinderan. Whatever may have led to this absurd situation, we do not know.

All we know is that the dwarven warrior wields his epic axe, the night elf hunter switches to explosive arrows, and the human warlock summons his “FOUR WHEELS OF FURY”. Then he suddenly sits in a red pickup truck, a Toyota Tacoma, hits the dragon directly in the stomach and rips out its heart, which then lies on the back of the truck. What an epic moment! “I am the law giver,” yells the victorious witcher player.

Epicness from Los Angeles

Incidentally, this commercial came from Dino Spadavecchia and Greg Farley of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi from Los Angeles, as stated in an interview at the time. Machinima and Machinimaker inspired the advertisers’ clip, which the Blizzard teamed up with – would be odd if it weren’t, since “Cinderan” features a very unique “I’m clutching my chest because I choked” trope Animation.